'An absolute catastrophe' - Wellington goalkeeper Josh Oluwayemi concedes bizarre own goal and is subbed off at half-time

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Wellington goalkeeper Josh Oluwayemi suffered an absolutely disastrous first half for Wellington Phoenix after scoring a desperate own goal. That own goal appeared to shake his confidence to such an extent that he was subbed off against Auckland at half-time on Saturday as his side slumped to 4-0 down in the first 45 minutes. Auckland went on to secure a 5-0 victory.

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Video credit: TNT Sports

Wellington goalkeeper Josh Oluwayemi was subbed off at half-time following a calamitous headed own goal as part of a 5-0 defeat to Auckland.

The New Zealand derby took place at the Sky Stadium in Wellington on Saturday, and the match appeared to be a tightly-contested affair until a striking error from the former Tottenham Hotspur 'keeper in the 24th minute.

Auckland’s Jake Girdwood-Reich hoofed a clearance from deep within his own half as he looked to clear the lines for his team, and the ball moved high into the air and into his opponent’s half.

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As the ball dropped, it became clear that Oluwayemi had pushed up closer to the halfway line as his team had been in possession.

However, the 24-year-old stopper appeared to have misjudged the flight of the ball, perhaps caught out by a gust of wind given the height at which the ball had reached.

He was aware enough of his positioning to know that he was out of his penalty area, and conscious that he could not use his hands, as he tried to repel the ball by heading it away.

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However, tumbling backwards, he strained towards it with his head, and only served to speed up its path into an empty net.

That error might have unsettled Oluwayemi to such a degree that he was unable to keep his focus for the rest of the half.

On the audio of the local match coverage, the commentator was left in utter disbelief, as he exclaimed: "Goodness me! What an absolute catastrophe for Josh Oluwayemi, and Jake Girdwood-Reich, in the most extraordinary of circumstances, has scored his first A League goal for Auckland FC. Absolutely incredible."

His co-commentator added: "No one knows how to react to this.

"There's confusion. Josh Oluwayemi can step back into his 18-yard box. He's under no pressure. There's no one near him.

"That is entirely manageable, and the only people in this ground who have reacted... Auckland didn't even know what to do. A bizarre opening."

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Despite having just three shots on target in the first half, Auckland were able to move into a 4-0 lead by the time the whistle blew.

Every shot at goal that Oluwayemi needed to save went in, with the own goal providing the other goal, alongside a brace from Jesse Randall and another from Guillermo May.

Oluwayemi’s sudden error and his team’s implosion forced his manager’s hand, as he was replaced by substitute Alby Kelly-Heald at half-time.

The replacement fared better than the match starter, however, with just one more goal conceded in the rest of the match.

Lachlan Brook scored in the 74th minute to round off a 5-0 victory, bringing Auckland’s run of victories in the derby to six wins from six.

They remain in second spot in the league, just a point behind first-placed Newcastle.

Wellington have just one win in their last six matches after this defeat, and sit 10th in the table.

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