A stoppage-time stunner scored by Auckland FC substitute Neyder Moreno earned the Black Knights a dramatic 1-0 win over Western Sydney Wanderers at CommBank Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Moreno’s 95th-minute winner sent Auckland back above Adelaide United to the top of the Isuzu UTE A-League table after an entertaining affair in which both sides wasted glorious chances to open the scoring before the substitute’s decisive finish.
In Wanderers defender Jack Clisby’s 250th Isuzu UTE A-League game, Western Sydney took 15 shots to Auckland’s 22 but a combination of superb glovework by goalkeepers Lawrence Thomas and Alex Paulsen as well as wastefulness in the final third from both sides saw five minutes of added time elapse with the score still locked level at 0-0.
But on the cusp of the final whistle, Moreno fired a shot from a narrow angle over the head of Wanderers keeper Lawrence Thomas, off the bar and over the line as Auckland surged back to the summit of the Isuzu UTE A-League table.
For Moreno, Sunday’s win over the Wanderers continued the Colombian’s superb form and effectiveness off the bench for Auckland.
Having started just four of his 12 appearances this season, Moreno has made the most of his 477 minutes on the park with the match-winner against Western Sydney taking his season tally to four goals – the equal-most of any Auckland player alongside Guillermo May.
Auckland threatened to take the lead just 66 seconds after kick-off against the Wanderers, when Guillermo May spun his marker in the box to go one-on-one with Lawrence Thomas, but the Wanderers keeper got off his line to deny the Auckland forward from the edge of the six-yard box.
The Wanderers then threatened through Zac Sapsford who breezed past Auckland captain Hiroki Sakai down the right wing and angled a shot towards the bottom-left corner that was tipped around the post by the fingertips of Alex Paulsen.
Chances continued to present for both sides through the first 30 minutes of play, with Nicolas Milanovic turning an opportunistic first-time flick from inside the six-yard box over the bar, before Max Mata called Thomas into his second big save of the game.
The second half began with a flurry at CommBank Stadium but a series of golden opportunities went begging as both sides failed to capitalise on chances to break the deadlock.
Milanovic went one-on-one with Alex Paulsen but, under pressure from Nando Pijnaker who closed down the space, failed to get enough purchase on a shot that Paulsen did well to keep out of Auckland’s net.
Then came a blunder from Auckland winger Logan Rogerson who missed from point-blank range after Guillermo May’s shot was saved into his path at the back post by Thomas.
Wanderers striker Marcus Antonsson then dragged an effort wide of goal and Neyder Moreno saw his close-range shot from a tight angle smothered by Thomas down the other end as an all-action second half somehow remained goalless heading into the final half-hour of play.
The breathless start to the second half made way for a cagey finish with both sides as eager to find a winner as they were reluctant to concede the opening goal.
But just when it seemed like the game was destined to end 0-0, up stepped Moreno to break the deadlock and seal all three points for the Black Knights.
