Late Late Show Saves Point For Smurfs

[mack]

The 3rd & final Sydney Derby of the 2024/25 A-League regular season was a clash between two teams struggling for consistent form, with SFC storming home in an excessively long stoppage time period to earn a point with two late goals in a firey 3-3 draw.

5th place vs 8th place, two teams with strong attacking records but worse in defence than all but the cellar dwelling Roar & Glory the match threatened to be a shootout. The big news on match day was the omission of Juan Mata from the Wanderers lineup, his injury suffered in the 1-0 win against the Roar last week too much to overcome in such a short period of time. The two new Alex's on either team, Gersbach for the Red & Black and Grant for Sydney FC weren't ready to play either. Josh Brillante was make his 250th A-League appearance across his 12 season, 6 club career that began on the Gold Coast in 2010 against the North Queensland Fury.

The Wanderers should have opened the score a minute into the match, a throw on half way & a slip by a defender enabled Brandon Borrello to sprint into the box, he passed to Milanovic who turned and hit Bozhidar Kraev with a simple cut-back to leave him 85% of the goal to aim for.. and he hit a weak shot straight at Devenish-Meares who held on gratefully.

A quick fire pair of goals had Sydney FC in front, then back level by the 8th minute. The opening goal came from Patrick Klimala, he found his way onto the end of a needle-point, unpressed through ball from Anthony Caceres, the striker was onside and fired it past the right hand of Lawrence Thomas. The response was instant, and once again Zac Sapsford was in the right place at the right time with his 4th goal in a derby out of the 7 in his whole A-League career. It was a simple tap in after Devenish-Meares palmed away Clisby's low cross straight into the path of the former SFC junior and Sapsford couldn't miss the open net.

Sapsford went for a spectular lob over the keeper in the 17th minute, after Sena lost the ball in midfield to a strong challenge from Josh Brillatne, the Wanderers scorer took aim from half-way but launched it too high and over the bar. The Wanderers kept the pressure on in the 24th minute had a run of possession, stretching out the SFC defence and troubling their backline with a number of crosses and intricate passing. Brillante found himself open and fired at goal, the keeper did a better job that time but the Wanderers came again with more crosses that were just over the head of the likes of Kraev & Borrello.

Sapsford continued his incredible half by setting up the Wanderers to take the lead. A turn-over deep in the Wanderers half from SFC let Sapsford make an audacious reverse turn to unleash Milanovic in a one on one running at the defender until Sapsford caught up on his left, Milanovic played it wide, Sapsford returned it quickly on his left foot with a grasscutter along the floor, Rhyan Grant was the last man back and all he could do was turn it into his own net for the first Derby own goal since Jake Girdwood-Reich in March 2024. After a half of constant fouling and off the ball incidents from the SFC players, it was Sena who finally took the first booking of the game after he cut down Sapsford in the midfield after losing the ball. Anthony Pantazopoulos attempted a 40 yard Ronaldo style strike, it was on target but not troubling, and it was the last moment in an action filled half the Wanderers dominated to their deserved 2-1 lead.

Sapsford was having a career best match and he continued it in the second half by giving his team a 3rd goal just two minutes in. More SFC mucking about in midfield saw a turnover when Brillante monstered Leo Sena, Borrello continued on toward goal with the ball and delivered a left foot reverse pass that found Sapsford making an inch perfect run to remain onside. He completed his brace by finishing past the onrushing goalkeeper and celebrating at the conclusion of a VAR check that found no offside or foul in the build up. Steve Corica threw on his marquee Dogulas Costa for the ineffective Zac De Jesus.

The stand out man of the match so far almost had his hat-trick in the 57th minute, a pair of chances after Milanovic cut inside and delivered a cut-back, the blue shirts were pressed and ranked, a first block off the line at the back post by Caceres and a second that appeared to be a handball from Rhyan Grant that the VAR declined to check in detail. He was in the action again when Devenish-Meares once again spilled the ball to Sapsford, he was rescued from a potential penalty situation by the offside flag. Both teams went to the bench in the 64th minute. A double change for the Wanderers bringing on Jarrod Carluccio on his 24th birthday, for Gabriel Cleur & Marcus Antonsson for Borrello. SFC removing Anas Ouahim for Adrian Segecic.

Sapsford finally ran out of petrol in the 75th minute, coming off for James Temelkovski along with Brillante for Mo Al-Taay. Barring a massive comeback or late flurry of goals his game was a standout man of the match effort against his former club. Costa did help his team get some time on the ball, he also took a long range shot that flew high and wide. Thomas had not had too much to do so far, but he kept the scoreline to 3-1 with a glorious single handed full length dive to his left to stop Segecic pulling a goal back.

Segecic took a second chance with apolmb to setup a grandstand finish. On the edge of the area he turned and fired to the far post, Thomas didn't dive but it was out of his reach anyway, nestling into the side netting to make it 2-1 with just a few minutes injury time and a ridiculous 8 minutes stoppage time to come. Aydan Hammond came in for the final 6 minutes, the last sub for the Wanderers in place of Kraev. A quick corner ended with a scrambling block from Clisby that could have ended in another own goal but thankfully dropped past the far post. Costa had a shot blocked at the near post for another corner.

Corner after corner and eventually SFC made the Wanderers pay. After failing to put men on both posts, a header that Thomas blocked off the line was tapped in at the back post by Caceres. It was hardly deserved, but as happens so often for the Wanderers their substitutes were ineffective and those who remained on the pitch from the start didn't have the stamina to hold off an opponent. Questions will be asked about where the 8 minutes of stoppage time came from that enabled SFC to score their equaliser, and how that 8 minutes extended out to 12 by the time the game finished, but a more deserved question would be asking how has Alen Stajcic still not managed to solve the clear failure of his physio staff to get their team fitness up to a level to close out games. The draw feeling as bitter as a defeat, the Wanderers point does very little to help them chase a finals position, and SFC's was enough to get them into 3rd place via goal difference.

The Wanderers next match is against Macarthur FC on Sunday 16th of February in Parramatta with kick-off at 5:00PM.

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[Unlimited]

Just figured out how to get Wifi in Japan - what did I miss, anything good?

[StringerBellend]

2 minutes ago, Unlimited said:

Just figured out how to get Wifi in Japan - what did I miss, anything good?

That's my favourite post ever

[Themumf79]

The subs were not great, but someone is going to have to explain to me wtf Temelkovski is doing anywhere near a wanderers shirt? He is the worst player I have seen in a long long time. Looked gassed 60 seconds after coming on and was just appalling. They bring on Segicic who changed the game for them. Yuck. Feels worse than getting battered 4-0.

[Smoggy]

Entertaining, value for money, good atmosphere...like derby of old....but......bloody frustrating eh....

5 min from the end when 3 - 1 up our fans started mocking those ESFC leaving early..including my son. I tapped him on the shoulder and shook my head..."not yet"...and i was right..

**** we are piss weak....you just knew we would fold.

On another day we lose that 4 - 3 with this Stah lot lol

Edited 5 hours ago by Smoggy

[Benched]

Most frustrating player of the night was Milanovic. Jekyl and Hyde. Or should that be Heykl and Jyde. More apt. He doesn’t know what the f&@k he is. 

[StringerBellend]

1 minute ago, Smoggy said:

Entertaining, value for money, good atmosphere...like derby of old....but......bloody frustrating eh....

5 min from the end when 3 - 1 up our fans started mocking those ESFC leaving early..including my son. I tapped him on the shoulder and shook my head..."not yet"...and i was right..

**** we are piss weak....you just knew we would fold.

On another day we lose that 4 - 3 with this Stah lot lol

We are the Everton in this relationship 

[Nathg]

2 minutes ago, Themumf79 said:

The subs were not great, but someone is going to have to explain to me wtf Temelkovski is doing anywhere near a wanderers shirt? He is the worst player I have seen in a long long time. Looked gassed 60 seconds after coming on and was just appalling. They bring on Segicic who changed the game for them. Yuck. Feels worse than getting battered 4-0.

You can say the same about Antonsson. Taking off Borrello, who hassled the Sydney defence all night, only for Antonsson to come on, jog a little bit and shake his hair around

[nmh94]

I have been loathed to engage in Staj conversations, but seriously - you manage one of the best attacking teams in the league who haven't been able to set up an effective defensive formation (or fond the appropriate cattle) all season. So what do you do at 3-1 when you are creating chance after chance? Try to score a 4th? Or park the bus for 20 mins like you are fffing Burnley? I'm mean seriously.

[scarcev]

******* frustrating and our own doing but if they didn't score, they were getting a pen or something we got raped all game by Evans.

[immortalshogun]

We played well i thought until about the 70th minute. Why take off Cleur and Borello when they were creating havoc all night is a mystery. Why would we, one of the worst defences in the league, allow one of the best attacks in the league to pepper our goal for 20 minutes is beyond me ffs

Derby Sapsford is the best player in the league 

[MathyouWSW]

11 minutes ago, Unlimited said:

Just figured out how to get Wifi in Japan - what did I miss, anything good?

So tempted to curse at you in Japanese right now...

[StringerBellend]

Our Inferiority complex 

Just now, scarcev said:

******* frustrating and our own doing but if they didn't score, they were getting a pen or something we got raped all game by Evans.

Not meant as a go at you but I'm sick of us blaming the referee. It might even be justified but we just win FFS. 

this is my Everton point. We position ourselves as hard done by plucky underdog. those arrogant kopites of the a league expect to win. 

[matty]

Yeah Evans had his way with us, well played to him. 

Grant hand ball, play on. 

Sena falls down,  foul, every time. 

Kraev gets knocked over (rugby tackle) while controlling the ball, play on.

It was constant. 

[BoyFromTheWest]

They had a different level of subs. Let's be honest. Costa and Segecic, who is near the top of the golden boot. We have a lot of kids and they don't.

I get it frustration here, but that was so fast ahead of what I expected. We did well.  Disposing we couldn't hold on forever but the script was keep going until SFC equalise.

We have completed and matched the best one the league.  Consistency and we could do some damage. I'm looking forward to Gersbach and Borello fill fitness.

[Benched]

4 minutes ago, nmh94 said:

I have been loathed to engage in Staj conversations, but seriously - you manage one of the best attacking teams in the league who haven't been able to set up an effective defensive formation (or fond the appropriate cattle) all season. So what do you do at 3-1 when you are creating chance after chance? Try to score a 4th? Or park the bus for 20 mins like you are fffing Burnley? I'm mean seriously.

Totally agree. This was the most baffling to me. We took our foot off the gas. 
On the bright side Ange will be looking for a job soon, sign him up. 

[BoyFromTheWest]

2 minutes ago, immortalshogun said:

We played well i thought until about the 70th minute. Why take off Cleur and Borello when they were creating havoc all night is a mystery. Why would we, one of the worst defences in the league, allow one of the best attacks in the league to pepper our goal for 20 minutes is beyond me ffs

Derby Sapsford is the best player in the league 

Because they're coming back off injuries and aren't up to 100 minutes.

[StringerBellend]

If Stajic managed them to 8th would they keep him as manager? 

 

Edited 5 hours ago by StringerBellend

[mack]

I wouldn't keep him now.

[tardotz]

Evans has to be one of the most biased refs around . They started fouling form kickoff and he let them go. Not sure how they came up with 8 mins...but felt it game would have kept going  until they scored. Good entertaining game for the neutral, and Stajic week after week proves he should not be in charge. His subs managed to change a winning position to hanging in for a point.

[WHACKO]

15 minutes ago, Unlimited said:

Just figured out how to get Wifi in Japan - what did I miss, anything good?

Search Yujo and go out get one.

Then you can fell how the rest of us fell.

Only yours will be in a good way.

[matty]

I understand where the silver lining people are coming from but I don't subscribe. 

If we play like that every week, we're top 6 without question. Thing is we won't, and we know it. Next week or the one after we'll look like we don't know how to play football again and so the cycle goes. 

[torcidaSI]

3 minutes ago, Themumf79 said:

The subs were not great, but someone is going to have to explain to me wtf Temelkovski is doing anywhere near a wanderers shirt? He is the worst player I have seen in a long long time. Looked gassed 60 seconds after coming on and was just appalling. They bring on Segicic who changed the game for them. Yuck. Feels worse than getting battered 4-0.

Meanwhile, they've got 5/6 players in midfield against our 4. Two of which are Douglas Costa and Segecic.

Hammond, a player with pace, energy and an ability to track back and win the ball sits on the bench. Antonsson gets put on with no intention to supply him the ball.

Of the early subs, Temelkovski and Carluccio were at fault for the goal that made it 3:2. 

Staj can shout and complain about the 8 minutes all he likes. He enabled another collapse. 

[nmh94]

2 minutes ago, BoyFromTheWest said:

They had a different level of subs. Let's be honest. Costa and Segecic, who is near the top of the golden boot. We have a lot of kids and they don't.

I get it frustration here, but that was so fast ahead of what I expected. We did well.  Disposing we couldn't hold on forever but the script was keep going until SFC equalise.

We have completed and matched the best one the league.  Consistency and we could do some damage. I'm looking forward to Gersbach and Borello fill fitness.

I would have agreed with you at the start of the year when I expected they would be 1st or 2nd, but that hasn't proven to be the case. They lost to the Roar at home ffs. They haven't proven themselves up at the level of Adelaide or Auckland.

[Themumf79]

Not really buying the ref thing. All refs in this comp are rubbish. Evans is no different. Could have given a foul on Sena before the second goal but let it go. All Staj seems to do is whine at the 4th official. All game, every game. It’s a bit boring. 

Edited 5 hours ago by Themumf79

[Cynth]

4 minutes ago, immortalshogun said:

We played well i thought until about the 70th minute. Why take off Cleur and Borello when they were creating havoc all night is a mystery. Why would we, one of the worst defences in the league, allow one of the best attacks in the league to pepper our goal for 20 minutes is beyond me ffs

Derby Sapsford is the best player in the league 

This.

Why do we take off the players performing best? And for who? What is Stajic’s strategy? 

[sonar]

I thought we would lose this. 

Looked like a win for 90% of the game. Poor defending at the end cost us. 

Deserved to win but we didn't deserve to lose ( which we didn't).

Happy we didn't lose.....a bit pissed we let them in for a draw.

Have to beat Macathur next.

[torcidaSI]

Just now, Cynth said:

This.

Why do we take off the players performing best? And for who? What is Stajic’s strategy? 

We're not playing midweek fixtures. If the players can't last 90mins as professional footballers, we're doing something wrong with our fitness coaching.

[Upthehill]

Just now, BoyFromTheWest said:

They had a different level of subs. Let's be honest. Costa and Segecic, who is near the top of the golden boot. We have a lot of kids and they don't.

I get it frustration here, but that was so fast ahead of what I expected. We did well.  Disposing we couldn't hold on forever but the script was keep going until SFC equalise.

We have completed and matched the best one the league.  Consistency and we could do some damage. I'm looking forward to Gersbach and Borello fill fitness.

That falls directly on Stajic and the club. He had a full preseason and did sweet bugger all about the depth. The only pass he gets is Antonsson, since he inherited him. 

Every block head on this forum knew we had defensive issues and Staj did sweet f--- all about it. His sole defensive signing, prior to Gersbach, rivals Rivals Aritz Borda and Seyi Adeleke for the worst foreign signings of the the decade.

Our entire setup is not designed to control games, choke teams and create desperation. This is the outcome

But sure Staj... Spend 98 minutes yelling at the officials...

[Neverbloom]

I mean disappointed but typical wanderers experience