A-League semi finals, first leg: Melbourne City v Western Utd, Auckland v Melbourne Victory

Logan Rogerson found the back of the net to score the decisive goal in Auckland FC’s crucial 1-0 win against Melbourne Victory in the first leg of the A-League semi finals.

Logan Rogerson found the back of the net to score the decisive goal in Auckland FC’s crucial 1-0 win against Melbourne Victory in the first leg of the A-League semi finals.

Victory enjoyed the bulk of the possession, but Rogerson’s 64th minute header proved the difference at AAMI Park.

Auckland A-League goal

CITY SECURES CLINICAL WIN

Melbourne City have plenty of breathing room in the A-League semi-final after a clinical first-leg display extended their impressive recent record against Western United.

Yonatan Cohen’s stunning finish, which bookended two further goals for Aurelio Vidmar’s side, gave City a fifth straight win over their Victoria counterparts as the regular season’s second-placed side showed more composure in the moments that mattered.

Germán Ferreyra kept his focus to head in from a corner after 16 minutes before Cohen’s outstanding first-time curler lit up AAMI Park during the early exchanges of the second half.

Off the bench, Mathew Leckie, making just his 13th outing of 2024/25, lashed in a third 18 minutes from time to give those in sky blue a hearty and deserved cushion.

Contrastingly, Western will not be rushing to watch the highlights of a contest where they squandered a catalogue of chances as the clock ticked beyond 400 minutes since they last breached City.

The second leg, where City are the nominated hosts, takes place next Saturday night, following the conclusion of the other semi-final between Auckland FC and Melbourne Victory.

Callum Talbot and Yonatan Cohen celebrate a goal. Picture: Getty Images

700 up for Melbourne

The semi-final’s first goal was City’s 700th in A-League competition. One of their most conventional, it was no less effective, and it set them on their way.

Marco Tilio’s set-piece delivery gathered altitude before journeying into the six-yard box, where a determined Ferreyra put his name on it, forcing the ball through the best efforts of exposed goalkeeper Matthew Sutton.

German Ferreyra scored the first for Melbourne City. Picture: Getty Images

City slickers

Melbourne’s second - one for Cohen’s showreel - can be filed into an entirely different category.

The build-up play, measured, meaningful and culminating in Alessandro Lopane’s incisive ball into the penalty area, was outdone by his teammate’s opportunism - stepping onto the pass and from an angle whipping an arched effort beyond Sutton’s despairing dive.

Cohen then, via a ricocheted first touch, teed up the returning Leckie to put them in the ascendancy at the tie’s halfway stage.

Wasteful Western

There were opportunities aplenty for United to break City’s defences at long last, but they came and went.

Western United didn’t make the most of their chances. Picture: Getty Images

Hiroshi Ibusuki’s tame side-footer, when the game was goalless, failed to trouble Patrick Beech, Michael Ruhs picked out the goalkeeper when the far corner beckoned, and on two occasions Ben Garuccio’s decision-making betrayed him in advanced positions on the left.

Matthew Grimaldi shrank at the moment he needed to get over Riku Danzaki’s inviting far-post cross, and Tate Russell’s leaning header floated narrowly wide.

The elimination final hat-trick hero, Noah Botic - limited in his training time this week - was restricted to an appearance off the bench, with manager John Aloisi stating, “He’s got something in his quad.”

Originally published as A-League semi finals, first leg: Melbourne City v Western Utd, Auckland v Melbourne Victory