May 15 (Reuters) - Auckland FC stormed into their first A-League Grand Final in their second season on Friday with a 3-0 win away to Adelaide United securing a 4-1 aggregate victory in their semi-final.
Jake Girdwood-Reich thumped in a first-half header and joint-Golden Boot winner Sam Cosgrove scored a penalty after the break, with Logan Rogerson icing the win with a late goal as the Black Knights silenced a sold-out crowd at Hindmarsh Stadium and became New Zealand's first team into the league's title-decider.
Stopped by Melbourne Victory in last year's semi-finals, Auckland would not be denied a second time, and will meet the winner of Newcastle and Sydney FC who are tied 1-1 in their semi-final before their second leg at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday.
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 the midfield and too vulnerable to the counter-attack.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Toby Davis)
