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Sport Nation
Auckland FC close in on ALM Premiers Plate
Anna Harrington, AAP • March 30th, 2025 9:35 pm
Nando Pijnaker celebrates his goal | Photo: Dave Hunt/AAP
A-League Men leaders Auckland FC know they are within touching distance of the premiership plate after scrapping out a 2-0 win over Brisbane.
The Black Knights had been held to three draws ahead of the international break, when several of their players sealed World Cup qualification with New Zealand.
But Nando Pijnaker's header in first-half stoppage time delivered the lead, with Hiroki Sakai's 83rd-minute goal ensuring a seven-point buffer on second-placed Western United with five games to play.
Auckland (45 points) are well clear of the chasing pack: Western United (38), Melbourne City (37), Melbourne Victory (36) and Western Sydney (35).
Auckland and Western United face off in the final round, but Steve Corica's charges will hope the race for the premiership is settled well before then.
"Really thrilled. Obviously, we've had three draws before this - tally goes to 10 now unbeaten, which is fantastic," Corica told Paramount Plus.
"Still five games for us to go. So we just keep chipping away a game at a time, I suppose, and hopefully we'll get the job done at the end of the season.
On a patchy, cut-up Suncorp Stadium pitch, in front of a sparse crowd, it was Brisbane with the better of the early chances.
Auckland goalkeeper Alex Paulsen was called into action to bat away Jay O'Shea's strike in the 10th minute, then got down low with a reflex save after a goalmouth scramble.
The visitors took the lead with the final play of the opening half when Pijnaker met Louis Verstraete's cross to the near post and directed a thumping header home.
Paulsen spilt a free kick from O'Shea in the 59th minute but was able to grab Hosine Bility's follow-up header from close range.
The AFC goalkeeper batted away another strike from O'Shea in the 65th minute.
Sakai thought he'd doubled Auckland's lead in the 83rd minute but Logan Rogerson was ruled offside in the build-up.
After a VAR review, it was determined Rogerson had not been offside and the goal was awarded.
Ruben Zadkovich's second-last Brisbane, who have won just one of their past seven games, remain ahead of Perth on goal difference.
"The result's obviously disappointing, but performance very strong from us, I feel," Zadkovich told Paramount Plus.
"And even though we're not in a position where we want to be, and we'd love to be winning more games, I feel like there's massive steps forward for this group.
"The way we go about our football, even against the top team tonight, there's a lot more positives than there are negatives. I think we outplayed them, to be honest.'
Auckland host Western Sydney next Saturday while Brisbane have a tight turnaround to play Macarthur at home on Friday.
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