A 90th minute Kwabena Appiah-Kubi goal has seen the Western Sydney Wanderers defeat the Melbourne Victory 2-1 at Campbelltown Stadium.
A 90th minute Kwabena Appiah-Kubi goal has seen the Western Sydney Wanderers defeat the Melbourne Victory 2-1 at Campbelltown Stadium.
The previously undefeated Victory started the game more strongly and were content to keep the ball and use their structure to build pressure.
In contrast, the Wanderers looked at their most dangerous on the counter-attack, and despite having less of the ball, it was the Wanderers who created the best chances of the first half.
Tahj Minnecon came close to opening the scoring in the 18th minute but was denied by a fine save from Lawrence Thomas in the Victory goal.
At the 30-minute mark, Western Sydney started to control the ball and this extra possession lead to more chances.
After 37 minutes, Western Sydney took the lead. After finding some space on the right-hand flank, a Labinot Haliti cross picked out Daniel Barac in front of goal. Despite being in traffic, Baric muscled his way to the ball and knocked it in from close range.
The Wanderers took the one-goal lead into half-time, but a defensive blunder in the opening minute of the second half allowed Victory to level the scores.
Isaka Cernak pounced on a poorly placed back pass, and with Aaron Liddell in the Wanderers goal coming across to cover, Cernak calmly cut the ball back across the penalty area to Theo Markelis, who drove the ball into the back of the net to tie the game.
With 25 minutes remaining, an acrobatic save from Victory replacement keeper Tando Velaphi kept the scores level after a shot from Daniel Baric.
At the other end, Western Sydney substitute shot-stopper Thomas Manos also made a great save, courageously diving at the feet of Markelis to deny him his second.
In the 78th minute Manos was again on hand to deny Markelis, this time after the Victory midfielder latched onto a well weighted through-ball from Christopher Christaldo.
The Manos-Markelis duel continued three minutes later with the keeper again stopping the shot from close range, this time with his foot.
The final 15 minutes of the game had belonged to the Victory, who looked certain to score at times, but with the game about to enter injury time, the Wanderers struck.
A well-played lob over the defence found Appiah-Kubi, and with the keeper off his line, the forward calmly chipped the ball home to steal the three points for the home side.
Western Sydney Wanderers 2 (Daniel Baric 37, Kwabena Appiah-Kubi 90)
Melbourne Victory 1 (Theodore Markelis 46)
Western Sydney Wanderers: 1. Aaron Liddell, 3. Jacob Williams ©, 4. Stepjan Paric, 5. James Baldacchino, 6. Jake McGing, 7. Labinot Haliti, 8. Yianni Perkatis, 9. Daniel Baric, 10. Tahj Minnecon, 11. Tarek Elrich, 14. Kwabena Appiah-Kubi,
2. Zakeriya Elrich, 12. Nicholas Olsen, 13. Jack Green, 20. Thomas Manos 45
Melbourne Victory: 1. Lawrence Thomas, 2. Matthew Foshini, 3. Nicholas Ansell, 4. Sam Gallagher, 5. Dylan Murnane, 6. Isaka Cernak, 7. Theodore Markelis, 8. James Jeggo, 9. Luke O-dea ©, 10, Julius Davies, 14. Luc Jeggo.
11. John Buceto, 12. Christopher Cristaldo, 13. Connor Pain, 20. Tando Velaphi
