Win In Perth Relieves Pressure On Rudan

The Western Sydney Wanderers travelled to Perth in hope of snapping an atrocious 3 game losing streak that included a record loss to Melbourne City midweek, doing so in the end with a hard fought 2-1 win with a late Lachlan Brook goal.

After the 7-0 thrashing in Melbourne, Marko Rudan responded by dropping Nicolas Milanovic & Lachlan Brook to the bench, a risky move considering the pair have combined for half the Wanderers goals so far this A-League season. The Wanderers haven't won at HBF Park in a decade, while Perth's form has been inconsistent but decent. Perth had to withdraw Alex Susnjar with injury and Jarrod Carluccio was ineligible due to his loan conditions from the Wanderers. Milos Ninkovic made his first start of the season & Jack Clisby replaced Dylan Scicluna.

The match started poorly for Aidan Simmons, he lunged in to scythe down Daniel Bennie who would otherwise have been able to sprint deep into the Wanderers defensive half. Stefan Colakovski went down with a knock in the 8th minute giving the teams a short breather in the hot conditions as the Wanderers prepared for a corner kick.

That corner lead to the opening goal of the match. Marcelo won it at the back post, his header looked to be off target but Oli Sail preferred to be safe and he gave the Wanderers a second corner at the back post. This one was hit powerfully to the near post where Brandon Borrello rose highest, headed the ball at point blank range through the hands of Sail and into the back of the net to open the scoring.

Bennie had the first good chance for the Glory in the 19th minute, a ball floated to the back post that Simmons half-cleared to Bennie and the Glory winger fired wide. They had a spell of pressure off the back of the attack, David Williams had three crosses in a minute, eventually winning a corner that was launched to the back post for the 20 year old central defender Kaelan Majekodunmi to head toward goal, stopped well from short range by Lawrence Thomas. 5 minutes later a poor pass from Ninkovic and confusion between Oscar Priestman and Marcus Antonsson gave Perth a good chance but Adam Taggart made a mess of his first touch and ruined it. Simmons had a carbon copy of Colakovski's knock up the other end with Perth preparing to take a corner, Marcelo looking into the sun but still able to smash it away.

Thomas came up big again 15 minutes from half-time, Amini found Bennie's great run, he drew in Alex Bonetig to give Williams space for a shot, it looked good off the boot but Thomas swooped up and to left to palm it away for a corner that Glory wasted.

It should have been 2 for the Wanderers when Antonsson was released by Priestman, he came back onto his left to shoot, couldn't beat the keeper but the ball fell to Sonny Kittel who only had a single Perth defender on the line to block... but he inexplicably elected for a cut-back to no-one and wasted the chance. Shortly after Thomas was yellow carded for delaying the restart from a goal kick.

Just when it looked like Western Sydney would head into the sheds in front, Thomas made a disastrous error. Instead of booting it long to get the teams off the park, he lazily attempted a first time pass to Hendrix, but mislaid his effort well wide of the midfielder and giving it to Perth. The home team Gio Colli quickly summed up the situation on the edge of the area, realising that Simmons had vacated his right back position assuming he would be participating in an attack, leaving a gaping hole for Adam Taggart to strike a right footed half-volley into what was practically an open net with Thomas out of position.

Having lost 7-0 earlier in the week, a 1-1 draw at half-time would have seemed a decent start prior to kick-off, but in the circumstances of Thomas' wayward pass and the missed chance for Kitell it was nothing more than a continuation of the self-inflicted damage this season. Both teams made changes at the break, Tom Beadling came on for Bonetig & Colakovski left to be replaced by Jayden Gorman.

Western Sydney should have gone to the spot just minutes into the half, with Majekodunmi clearly handling the ball from a right wing cross. The officials let it go and VAR ignored it however. Williams had the chance to make it 2-1 to the Glory in the 55th, a floated cross he met with a diving header, but may have been put off with the balls trajectory being effected by the wind and the onrushing Marcelo, putting off the striker enough to stop him making solid contact. Ninkovic and Borrello both departed on the hour mark with Milanovic & Brook coming on for a half-hour assault on Perth before heading off to international duty with the Olyroos.

Milanovic almost made an immediate imapct, running into the box on the left flank he beat his marker and fired a cross low along the turf, had anyone from the Wanderers been making a run it would have been a tap-in but Antonsson was caught on his heels ball watching instead. Perth countered, having a trio of chances inside the box. The first was pushed away by Thomas, the rebound falling for Taggart who had his shot blocked by a desperate lunge by Hendrix. and another attack not long after that hammered into Simmons head from short range. Kittel's right footed shot on the edge of the box beat Sail but not the far post, Gorman at the other end swept a left footed shot wide.

78th minute Perth were handed a free kick opportunity on the edge of the 18 yard box. Trent Ostler shoved Marcus Antonsson and he fell into another Perth player, with Evans waiting a second before gifting them a free kick, the shot was past the wall but aimed at the side of the goal Thomas was guarding and he made a routine save. With 10 to play Clisby was replaced by Scicluna.

A goal-mouth scramble in the 83rd minute was initially waved away by the linesman, but eventually ruled as a legitimate goal. Perth failed to clear a corner and were punished for it, a ball returned into the box was nodded on by Marcelo to Antonsson, he took a touch then fired, it was blocked by Sail but again bounced off to Brook who couldn't miss and scored his 8th A-League goal and gave Western Sydney a precious 2-1 lead. Nathaniel Blair earned his 2nd match of the season after his good work in the NPL team, replacing Kittel.

Perth threw men forward in the final seconds, with Oli Sail making his way into the box for a pair of corners, but the delivery was tired and poor, the Wanderers clearing their lines and securing the 2-1 win and all three points. There were some post-game shenanigans involving Marcelo but it quickly dissolved as the teams separated. The win put the team back in the top 6 with Sydney FC in 5th via goal difference, WSW in 6th on 31 points and Melbourne City in 7th on 29. It wasn't the prettiest three points but it was three points and after the horror show of the past weeks it was a welcome salvation for all involved with the club heading into the two week international window.

The Wanderers next match is against Macarthur FC on Monday the 1st of April, in Campbelltown with kick-off at 3pm.