On Thursday, there were no such mitigating factors, just a stubborn Jets resistance and an Auckland team that couldn’t find an answer, with only Jesse Randall’s free-kick goal to show for their 22 shots. The two-week break between matches wouldn’t have helped after their away clash with Sydney FC was postponed due to an unsuitable pitch but Corica refused to make any excuses. But from there, Auckland FC had ample time for a comeback. It’s not always easy against 10 men – and the Jets sat deep and stayed compact– but Auckland were wasteful. “We didn’t move the ball quickly [enough], we didn’t create, we didn’t hurt them,” said Corica.

Source: New Zealand Herald January 02, 2026 04:28 UTC