Here’s what happened in Round 23 of the A-League Men, a round that has gone down in the history books as the highest-scoring single round in the competition’s 20-year history.
Sydney suffer blow to finals push
Sydney’s bid for the ALM playoffs has been dealt a blow by Wellington, who came back to haunt former coach Ufuk Talay by securing a 1-1 draw.Coming off a short turnaround after they advanced to the semi-finals of the Asian Champions League 2 midweek, Sydney started strongly in Sunday’s clash at the Sydney Football Stadium and seized an early lead thanks to Adrian Segecic’s seventh minute effort.But a week after coach Giancarlo Italiano said they were playing for pride, the Phoenix struck back through Kosta Barbarouses when he was played through by Francisco Geraldes and slotted a 38th minute equaliser that stood after a lengthy VAR review for offside.
Despite outshooting their opponents 21 to four, Sydney couldn’t find a way through in the remaining exchanges, with Josh Oluwayemi producing a series of late heroic saves to deny the hosts.
Forced to settle for a point, the seventh-placed Sky Blues remain three points behind Melbourne Victory and Adelaide, who both lost this weekend.
Five of their six remaining league fixtures are against sides currently in the top six, in addition to a minimum of two ACL2 games.
Western United thump Jets
Western United boss John Aloisi knows he can’t stop his players looking at the ladder but has warned they can’t get ahead of themselves if they’re to pull off a remarkable late-season push for the premiership after their 6-2 thumping of Newcastle.
With league leaders Auckland FC shipping a 90th-minute equaliser to draw with Central Coast earlier on Sunday, United raced to a 4-0 halftime lead at McDonald Jones Stadium and matched the Jets’ two-goal output in the second stanza to cruise to their fourth win on the bounce.
Scoring 16 goals across that winning run – their 46 for the season second-best in the league. The three points United took from the win moved them to 38 this season, four back of Steve Corica’s table-toppers. And though the Kiwi-based side has a game in hand, they will also have to travel to face their challengers on the season’s final day.
Auckland continue to switch off
If they want to win trophies, league leaders Auckland FC can’t keep switching off and letting in costly late goals, says coach Steve Corica.
Central Coast came from behind twice in New Zealand to claim a 2-2 draw and a point that opens the door for Western United to claim the premiership.
Auckland took the lead on Sunday through Guillermo May’s header in the 10th minute before Vitor Feijao responded in the 71st for the Mariners.
Callan Elliot’s cracking half-volley seven minutes later gave the home team the lead before Nicholas Duarte salvaged a point with a 90th-minute equaliser at Go Media Stadium.
Corica’s side are now winless in three, drawing all of those matches.
With six games left, the league newcomers sit top on 42 points, just four clear of second-placed Western United.
Roar prevale wooden spoon battle
Brisbane Roar have climbed off the bottom of the table after birthday boy Samuel Klein helped them come from behind to post a 3-1 win over new wooden spoon favourites Perth Glory.
Glory opened the scoring in the seventh minute of Saturday night’s match at HBF Park courtesy of a goal-of-the-year contender from Luke Amos in front of 6469 fans.
But it was all Brisbane from that point on, with new Roar recruit Asumah Abubakar levelling the scores in the 37th minute, before a superb second-half double to Klein, on his 21st birthday, sealed the win.
The result lifted Roar to 11 points, level with Glory, but Brisbane leapfrogged their rivals due to a far superior goal difference.
And with Brisbane boasting two games in hand on Glory, plus the fact five of the Roar’s remaining seven games are at home, Perth now appear destined for a second straight wooden spoon.
Four of Glory’s five remaining games are on the road.
Wanderers come from behind for big victory
Western Sydney will enter the international break as the competition’s undisputed form team after coming from behind to break Melbourne Victory’s hearts with a 4-2 win in Parramatta.
With only three minutes to play in regulation time on Saturday night, substitute Nicolas Milanovic put the Wanderers on course for their comeback win with a left-foot strike from the edge of the box.
It was the 23-year-old’s ninth goal of a great season, with CommBank Stadium erupting as the hosts took an unlikely 3-2 lead.
Swedish veteran Marcus Antonsson iced the result loping into the box on a counterattack to seal an emphatic win in added time.
Western Sydney had trailed 2-0 just before are now in third place on the ladder and are undefeated in their past six games.
Victory never again had the wealth of chances they enjoyed early in the second half as the Wanderers went into party mode late.
Macarthur triumph in nine-goal classic
Macarthur FC recorded a remarkable victory over Adelaide United in an A-League classic, defeating the Reds 5-4 in a nine-goal thriller at Coopers Stadium.
The Bulls led 2-0 after just 10 minutes before finding themselves 3-2 down at half time.
Two goals soon after the interval had them leading 4-3 before United equalised for the second time with 20 minutes remaining.
But, skipper Luke Brattan scored his second with a delightful free kick on 83 minutes which proved the winner.
Macarthur made the perfect start and caught Adelaide napping on eight minutes when Marin Jakolis volleyed across goal for Chris Ikonomidis to tuck the ball away.
Substitute Peter Makrillos also had a great assist in the game when he danced past a couple of Reds defenders on the edge of the area before threading a pass for Jakolis who scored.
Standings
Teams Win Draw Loss Points
1. Auckland FC 12.6.2.42
2. Western Utd 11.5.5.38
3. Western Sydney 10.4.6.34
4. Melb City 10.4.6.34
5. Melb Victory 9.6.6.33
6. Adelaide Utd 9.6.5.33
7. Sydney FC 8.6.6.29
8. Macarthur 8.4.9.28
9. Newcastle Jets 7.4.9.25
10. Central Coast 4.10.7.22
11. Wellington 5.5.10.20
12. Brisbane Roar 2.5.12.11
13. Perth Glory 2.5.14.11
With AAP
