Wanderers go fourth with big win over Perth
Western Sydney Wanderers have jumped to fourth on the table with a thumping 4-1 win over struggling Perth Glory.
The Wanderers came from behind to claim their third win on the bounce after Adam Taggart opened the scoring in the fifth minute at CommBank Stadium on Sunday.
Young attacker Aydan Hammond equalised with a wonder strike in the 14th minute, then put the Wanderers ahead in the 39th. Oscar Priestman and Bozhidar Kraev struck in the second half.
With victory over coach Alen Stajcic’s former side, the Wanderers sit fourth, just a point behind second-placed Western United and third-placed Adelaide, and ahead of Melbourne City on goal difference.
Slick Sydney stick the boot into struggling Macarthur
Sydney FC have bolstered their hopes of a top-six finish with a 2-0 win that has heaped further misery on a fast-falling Macarthur outfit.
Goals from super-sub Adrian Segecic and Patryk Klimala helped Ufuk Talay’s side secure victory in front of 8002 spectators at Campbelltown Sports Stadium on Saturday.
The meeting between Macarthur and Sydney shaped as potentially season-defining for both clubs, but the home side could not lay a glove on the Sky Blues.
Macarthur lacked any attacking spark and their season is on the brink of implosion, having picked up just one win in their past six games.
On New Year’s Day the Bulls sat second, but now find themselves in eighth spot.
Their collapse in form comes soon after the club allowed captain Valere Germain, striker Ariath Piol and winger Jed Drew to move overseas in the January window.
Victory secure point with late equaliser against Roar
Brisbane’s winless streak at home has stretched to 10 matches as Melbourne Victory struck in the last minute to claim a 1-1 draw at Suncorp Stadium.
A minute after Samuel Klein had spurned a chance in front of goal, left back Kasey Bos caught the Roar defence napping in the 97th minute.
Victory, fifth on the ladder coming into Saturday’s clash, had a golden opportunity against the cellar-dwellers to join Western United and Adelaide United on 32 points in equal second position with a win, but were outplayed by the hosts.
The Roar’s winless streak at their spiritual home stretches back to March 3 last year when they beat Victory 3-2.
Saturday’s draw was their first point at home since then after nine losses.
Roar forwards Nathan Amanatidis and Asumah Abubakar created havoc in attack but could not find the net.
Amanatidis had three chances inside 15 minutes, the third expertly saved off the line by defender Joshua Rawlins.
He burst through the middle of the Victory defence in the 50th minute but again failed to finish, injuring a hamstring in the process and limping from the pitch.
Corica lashes penalty calls after dramatic 4-4 draw
Auckland FC coach Steve Corica lashed two contentious penalties awarded to Adelaide United as “not good enough” officiating in a dramatic, high-stakes 4-4 draw.
United came from behind three times to fight out the extraordinary draw with league leaders Auckland at Go Media Stadium on Saturday, giving the race for top spot a pulse.
Adelaide fought back from 2-0 then 3-1 down to level the game at 3-3 through two Zach Clough penalties.
Then, Auckland captain Hiroki Sakai thought he’d scored the winner in the 92nd minute, before Bart Vriends bundled home a 98th-minute equaliser.
Corica said post-match that “both penalties are not penalties … The referee in my opinion, Daniel (Elder), he got both of them wrong.”
He pointed to when they last drew with Adelaide, and the Reds were awarded a goal.
“The referees the next day said, ‘Yeah, you’re right. It shouldn’t have been a goal.’ And I’m sure tomorrow we’ll get an apology as well,” Corica said.
“But that’s not good enough, really, is it?
“When you’re talking about top of the table, two big teams trying to win, and not only one decision but two decisions like that go against you.
“It’s disappointing.”
Walatee injured as Western United beat Mariners
Western United broke their Central Coast hoodoo with a 3-1 win courtesy of a Luke Vickery goal.
Vickery came off the bench at Industree Group Stadium in the 78th minute and put Western ahead 2-1 three minutes later, before Michael Ruhs added another in added time.
But their first win over Central Coast since 2021 has come at a cost after rising star Abel Walatee suffered a suspected abdomen injury early last Friday night’s match.
Western United rise to second in the league after securing their first win in Gosford.
Finals hopes fading for Phoenix after City defeat
Wellington Phoenix coach Giancarlo Italiano admitted his side’s hopes of playing finals have been dealt a near fatal blow by a 1-0 loss to Melbourne City.
Entering last Friday evening’s contest off a 6-1 drubbing from Kiwi rivals Auckland the week prior, and winless in their past four games, the Phoenix suffered their ninth defeat of the campaign at Sky Stadium thanks to Marco Tilio’s 51st minute strike.
It left them rooted in 11th place on the table.
The Phoenix will play five of their last eight games across the Tasman, with pivotal trips to face Western United and Sydney FC to come in the next fortnight.
Conversely, the congested ALM playoff picture means City in fifth are just one point behind Western in second.
This week: On Friday night, City host Macarthur. On Saturday, it’s high-stakes football as Adelaide play Brisbane, Western United take on Wellington and Victory host the Mariners. Then, resurgent Newcastle take on Auckland on Sunday.
Matchday 22 – Schedule AEDT
Friday 7/3
Melbourne City v Macarthur Bulls 7.35pm
Saturday 8/3
Adelaide United v Brisbane Roar 5pm
Western United v Wellington Phoenix 6pm
Melbourne Victory v Central Coast Mariners 7.35pm
Sunday 9/3
Newcastle Jets v Auckland FC 5pm
Standings (as of the completion of Round 21)
Teams Win Draw Loss Points
1. Auckland FC 12.4.2.40
2. Western Utd 9.5.5.32
3. Adelaide Utd 9.5.4.32
4. Western Sydney 9.4.6.31
5. Melb City 9.4.5.31
6. Melb Victory 8.6.5.30
7. Sydney FC 8.5.6.29
8. Macarthur 7.4.8.25
9. Newcastle Jets 6.3.8.21
10. Central Coast 4.9.6.21
11. Wellington 5.4.9.19
12. Perth Glory 2.5.13.11
13. Brisbane Roar 1.4.12.7
With AAP
