Auckland reach first A-League Grand Final with 3-0 win over Adelaide

May 15 : Auckland FC stormed into their first A-League Grand Final in their second season on Friday with a 3-0 win at Adelaide United securing a 4-1 aggregate victory in their semi-final.

Jake Girdwood-Reich powered home a first-half header and joint-Golden Boot winner Sam Cosgrove scored a penalty after the break. Logan Rogerson iced the win with a late goal as the Black Knights silenced a sold-out crowd at Hindmarsh Stadium and became the first New Zealand team to reach the title-decider.

Stopped by Melbourne Victory in last year's semi-finals, Auckland would not be denied again, and will meet the winners of Newcastle and Sydney FC who are tied 1-1 in their semi-final before their second leg at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday.

"I'm so proud of the boys coming here, we know this is a tough place to come," said Girdwood-Reich.

"I know a lot of people wrote us off today. We showed we're a great team.

"We've been really good away from home this season and we backed ourselves to come here and win."

Having held Auckland 1-1 in the first leg at Mount Smart Stadium, Adelaide's bid for a second A-League title, 10 years after their first championship in 2016, fell well short, the Reds bullied in midfield and vulnerable to counter-attacks.

Adelaide-born Auckland winger Lachlan Brook turned villain in his home town, with his curling corner kick setting up Girdwood-Reich's goal on the cusp of halftime.

It was a valiant win for the New Zealanders, with several players carrying injuries from the bruising first leg. They combined superbly against a team with the strongest home record in the league this season.

RUTHLESS GROOVE

After soaking up early pressure, Auckland soon settled into a ruthless groove.

Jesse Randall conjured their first