Sun 21st Jan 2007

Under perfect conditions at North Harbour Stadium the New Zealand Knights finished their second A-league season with panache, winning 2-0 over Perth Glory on Sunday evening.

Goals to Neil Emblen and Malik Buari sealed the deal late in the first half, displaying the version 2.0 of the Knights the NZ football community has grown to love over the last five rounds.

Although little was riding on the outcome of the match, the NZ team gave an impassioned performance that would not have been out of place amongst the top four who head into the finals next week.

The scoring account was opened in the 32nd minute when a flying Noah Hickey was sent down the line by Darren Bazeley.

Hickey settled on the ball just outside the 18 yard then crossed to a waiting Buari.

Buari’s shot was deflected by Glory keeper Tommi Tomich, but Emblen pounced on the parry and said thank you very much, driving the pill into the auld onion bag.

Less than 8 minutes later, the Knights balance was doubled when Buari – ever the dangerman – toed the ball in near-post, past custodian Tomich.

The movement began when Gao Leilei sent through a dangerous inswinging corner that Bunce latched onto with a head across. Emblen then directed the ball central with his own noggin and Buari darted in front of Tomich to score.

Whilst the advertising boards were missing on the far end of the pitch, the Knights players were doing a great job of advertising themselves, in what will be many of the team’s final match in the silver and black.

The NZ team were punishing the Glory down both flanks, in particular the right, throughout the first half, but often the final delivery was found wanting.

Buari was relishing his first start up-front with Emblen, whilst Gao was causing drama for the Glory every time he was involved in play.

Despite being the last game of the season, the passion still pulsing in both teams was evident to the crowd of 4,936 early in the second half when 3 yellow cards were flashed in 3 minutes.

After a scuffle between Kovacevic and Gao, the Knights player was carded in the 50th minute, followed by Jonas Salley two minutes later.

Referee Kevin Docherty was forced to go to the pocket again when Tarka put a high foot up to Buari.

After the scrappy start to the second stanza, the Knights regained their composure, returning to peppering the Glory goal-mouth. In total they had 15 shots in the match to the Glory's 7. Importantly, 8 of the home team's shots were on target, while the lads from the West Coast failed to have one direct attempt.

In the 57th minute the Knights had two attacking advances, many the result of great inter-passing centred around omnipresent Gao, but a Glory counter-attack from one of the Knights surges resulted in the Glory's best chance.

A 60th minute header fell to converted striker and skipper Jamie Harnwell, but it was harmless and went wide of the far post.

Malik Buari again showed how much he was enjoying the striker's role in place of Alen Marcina, when he chested down a Hickey header and swung a right foot volley from 20 yards out. The shot was Buari's 5th for the match and it just rose above the cross-bar.

The game finished by the dominant Knights with a last Gao Leilei free-kick attempt in the 89th. It was safely smothered by Tomich but it delighted the outgoing Bloc 5 supporters, chanting "it's good to be back.”

As the sun went down, so did the Knights second season in A-league football. However, a bright new beginning beckons should new investors be confirmed.

Judging by the turn-out on Sunday, the local football community can only be looking forward to that.

Match details

New Zealand Knights 2 (Emblen '32, Buari '39)
Perth Glory 0

VENUE : North Harbour Stadium
REFEREE : Kevin Docherty
WEATHER : Fine
PITCH : Good

Cautions '50 L. Gao, '52 J. Salley, '88 R. Johnson (Knights)
'53 D. Tarka '83 M. Saric (Glory)

Crowd 4,136 @ North Harbour Stadium

New Zealand Knights: 2.Darren BAZELEY, 4.Che BUNCE, 6. Neil EMBLEN, 7. Richard JOHNSON, 12. Mark PASTON (gk), 13. Jonas SALLEY (29. Li YAN 81'), 16. Noah HICKEY 21. Steven O'DOR, 31.GAO Leilei, 14. Malik BUARI (11. Jonti RICHTER 87'), 33. Dean GORDON

Substitutes not used: 20. Michael TURNBULL (gk), 8. Scot GEMMILL

Perth Glory: 50.Tommi TOMICH (gk), 3.David TARKA, 4.Simon COLOSIMO, 5.Jamie HARNWELL (Captain), 6.Jeremy CHRISTIE, 8.David MICEVSKI (7.Mimi SARIC '65), 12.Leo BERTOS, 13.Ante KOVACEVIC, 18.Josip MAGDIC (26.Nikita RUKAVYTSYA '73), 25.Mark LEE.

Substitutes not used: 20.Aleks VRTESKI (gk)