Auckland FC continued their unbeaten run in the A-League with a 2-0 victory over the Wellington Phoenix in an all-Kiwi derby at Sky Stadium, entertaining a record crowd of 26,252.
The match remained scoreless until the 88th minute when a critical error by Phoenix goalkeeper Josh Oluwayemi allowed Jake Brimmer to break the deadlock.
Brimmer then scored again in stoppage time, assisted by Luis Toomey, sealing Auckland’s third consecutive win in their inaugural season.
Despite Phoenix captain Alex Rufer’s determined return from injury for his 150th game, he was disappointed over his team’s missed chances and late mistakes. Meanwhile, Auckland’s captain Hiroki Sakai praised the electrifying atmosphere, calling it an “amazing” first derby.
