Western Sydney Wanderers

 

Sydney Derby: Terry Antonis goal hands Sydney FC 4-3 win over Western Sydney Wanderers

“THIS city is ours,” sang the supporters of Sydney FC, and in the end they were right - but not without all manner of agonies along the way.

A 4-3 win over the Wanderers in what was surely the finest Sydney derby yet produced sends the Sky Blues fourth and came courtesy of Terry Antonis’s inspired finish late in the game.

But it also came only after Sydney had given up a three goal lead, established in the first 24 minutes, and at a point where Western Sydney believed only they could go on to win. Even in a tortured season to lose like this was a new form of pain for Tony Popovic’s men.

If the game began at a breathless pace, by halftime the 19,484 crowd could have been queuing for oxygen. It took Sydney only 10 minutes to draw first blood, or rather watch the Wanderers cut themselves open. Milos Dimitrijevic’s corner to the near post was misjudged by Nikolai Topor-Stanley and the ball flew from his head onto the post, rebounded in Ante Covic and fell into the net.

Only Matthew Jurman’s desperate block prevented Nikita Rukavytsya from equalising, but with 18 minutes gone Sydney swept upfield to add another. Bernie Ibin cut in from the right and found Chris Naumoff beyond the far post, and though his shot was blocked Janko stabbed the loose ball home.

So far so bad for the Wanderers, but worse soon followed six minutes later. Seb Ryall’s long pass towards the edge of the box was speculative, but Brendan Hamill lost out in the air to Janko. As ball and players fell to earth, Janko reacted far quicker to sidefoot past Covic for number three.

On the benches Arnold drank eagerly from a water bottle as if it was something stronger, while Popovic’s shoulders slumped. With horror he then watched as Brosque caught out Hamill and rounded Covic, squaring the ball for Naumoff only for the young striker to shoot horribly wide.

It might have seemed immaterial, but on 33 minutes Western Sydney found a foothold. Yojiro Takahagi’s freekick to the far post was regulation, but Hamill headed back across goal for Iacopo La Rocca to stab the ball home.

There was hope for the home side, especially nine minutes later when Takahagi’s clever pass released Rukavystsya down the left for an instant cross, swept home triumphantly by Kerem Bulut on his debut. Halftime gave the Wanderers a second wind, and seven minutes after the break, Bulut showed why Popovic was so keen to get him into the A-League squad. Castelen picked up a loose clearance and fed Bridge, whose flicked pass gave Bulut space to shoot powerfully into the corner from 20m.

The turnaround was absolute in scoreline and mood, as the Wanderers swept forward at every chance led by the ebullience of Takahagi. Arnold raced through his subs to stem the tide, and one - Antonis - proved inspired. There wwere 15 minutes left when Sydney broke upfield through Rhyan Grant, the ball finding its way to Gersbach on the left. The fullback’s cross was poor but Hamill’s miserable night continued as he fumbled the clearance, allowing Antonis to fire home brilliantly.

With eight minutes left Mickael Tavares saw red, dismissed for the most idiotic of fouls when he had been booked in the first half, but Sydney hung on thanks to Vedran Janjetovic’s brilliant save in the final seconds.

Arnold twisted the knife into the defeated Wanderers, slamming the pitch and facilities at Pirtek Stadium.

Delighted by his side’s victory that lifts them to fourth place, Arnold was still aggrieved at the state of the stadium’s rebuilding programme and the relaid turf.

“It was a crazy game, we should have been 4-0 up at one point but credit to Western Sydney, teams reflect their coaches and they showed what Tony Popovic is made of. But it’s the first game of football I’ve ever won on a building site,” Arnold said.

“The pitch was very poor, and it was only relaid a week ago. We talk about professionalism and high standards in the A-League but we’re sitting sweating in demountables for dressing rooms. Maybe they should have moved the game away from this little stadium.”

Wanderers boss Tony Popovic admitted that while “every defeat hurts, losing to your loval rivals isn’t easy to take for anyone at the club. That’s three games this season against Sydney where we’ve had chances to win, should have won, but given goals away sloppily.

“We have to be more ruthless and that goes for attack and defence.”