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.

Auckland FC can reach out and touch the grand final after edging Melbourne Victory in the first leg of the A-League semi-final on Saturday night.

Logan Rogerson’s precious second-half header decided matters to give Steve Corica’s team a critical head start when hostilities are resumed next Saturday at what is set to be a sold-out Go Media Stadium.

It appeared the visitor’s best chance of taking a lead back to New Zealand had slipped by shortly after the restart when Jesse Randall shot wildly with the goal at his mercy.

Auckland A-League goal

But the premiers, hunting an unprecedented debut season double, continued their pursuit of an advantage and struck with 64 minutes played.

Francis de Vries worked the flank patiently, and his flighted centre was nodded in by Rogerson, who stole a march on the ball-watching Kasey Bos before steaming off to enjoy his ninth goal of 2024/25 in front of the 200 away supporters.

Logan Tipene Rogerson celebrates scoring a goal for Auckland FC. Picture: Getty Images

The travelling contingent were poised for more celebrating in stoppage time, only for Neyder Moreno’s shot to hit both posts and roll into Jack Duncan’s grateful arms, handing Victory a lifeline in the tie.

FALSE START FIRST HALF

Although goalless, the opening 45, which rallied from end to end, was not short of attacking action to keep supporters locked in.

But except for a drive from Auckland’s Felipe Gallegos that squirmed past Marlee Francois’ attempted flick on its journey wide of the target, none of the other clear opportunities, discounting any VAR intervention, would have counted.

Auckland FC’s Jesse Randall. Picture: Getty Images

Teammate Nando Pijnaker’s attempt from a corner, had it bounced in rather than out off the crossbar, would have been disallowed for a high boot. Whilst Guillermo May’s diving header remarkably clawed away by a scrambling Duncan, not that the goalkeeper was to know, and a break from Victory’s Nikos Vergos into the box before he was halted by Dan Hall would have fallen foul to offside calls.

May also had a tidy conversion ruled out in the second half, having left the blocks way too early for the assistant referee’s liking.

Injuries threaten Victory comeback

The blow of losing captain Roderick Miranda, after he picked up an injury in training on Friday, was compounded when his replacement, Brendan Hamill, was forced off before the hour mark, clutching his right knee.

Brendan Hamill is assisted from the pitch after sustaining an injury. Picture: Getty Images

AUCKLAND’S REMEDY TO COMPLACENCY

Auckland’s push to the premiers plate was serviced by a mindset specialist, and despite carrying an aggregate lead back home, the Mental Performance Coach will be called upon again ahead of the second leg.

Out of sight but not out of mind, the individual in question - Hamish Barton - has been credited by players for maintaining the squad’s focus during a campaign when they have been showered with plaudits.

Ninety minutes away from the grand final, thanks to a second away win over Victory in less than a month, focusing on the game and not the occasion in front of an expectant home crowd is a non-negotiable.

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