South Melbourne topples Auckland to boost semi-final hopes

South Melbourne FC has taken a large step towards the OFC Pro League semi-finals, defeating league leaders Auckland FC 2-1 successful a fiery Round 6 Leaders Group clash.

The Victorian broadside struck twice successful the space of two minutes during the archetypal fractional and then held steadfast under precocious unit to assertion its archetypal win implicit Auckland this season.

After drafting 1-1 successful Melbourne and losing 3-2 successful Fiji earlier successful the campaign, South Melbourne yet broke done against 1 of the contention favourites successful a high-stakes brushwood astatine Eden Park.

Jacob Eliopoulos opened the scoring successful the 21st minute, rising highest to caput location from a well-worked country arsenic South Melbourne erstwhile again capitalised connected its unsafe set-piece delivery.

Just two minutes later, Sebastian Pasquali doubled the vantage aft gathering a driven walk from the close flank and calmly finishing debased into the bottommost corner.

Auckland FC responded earlier half-time done Zac Zoricich, who finished disconnected a swift counter-attack aft Matt Ellis won possession successful midfield and threaded done a neat pass.

The opening fractional was tense and physical, with 4 yellow cards shown arsenic some sides attempted to asseverate power successful a contention carrying important semi-final implications.

Auckland pushed hard aft the break, with Luke Casserly’s broadside applying aboriginal unit successful hunt of an equaliser, while South Melbourne looked unsafe connected the counter.

Both teams created chances successful an progressively unfastened 2nd half, but neither goalkeeper was earnestly troubled arsenic the lucifer became much fragmented.

A dense collision betwixt South Melbourne’s Yuki Uchida and Auckland skipper Michael den Heijer momentarily halted proceedings, with the second forced from the tract aft the brace clashed heads wrong the punishment area.

As stoppage clip approached, Auckland lifted the strength and threw numbers guardant successful a hopeless effort to salvage a point, but South Melbourne’s defence stood resolute.

The effect strengthens South Melbourne’s propulsion for a spot successful adjacent week’s semi-finals and sets up different important clash against South Island United.