The Sky Blues have ended up on the wrong end of a thrilling seven-goal contest as Western United snatched a late win before a festive season crowd at Allianz Stadium.
Two crisp goals from the impressive Adrian Segecic and a thumping header from captain Rhyan Grant were not enough to garner any points in a match that sees Sydney FC slip to 7th place.
Sydney FC 3 (Segecic 37′, 45 + 1′, Grant 68′) def. by Western United 4 (Botic 3′, Walatee 46′, Bozinovski 62′, Ruhs 87′)
Moments That Mattered
2’ | KLIMALA SHOT BLOCKED – Ouahim threads the ball to Segecic in the box, his blocked shot spilling to Klimala, whose near post effort is parried by Sutton.
3′ | BOTIC GOAL – Another close range smother by Sutton from a dangerous Costa cross is quickly turned into a counter-attack, an Ibusuki flick to Walatee seeing Danzaki released inside the Sydney penalty area, his shot finding the back of Ibusuki’s legs only for Botic to slam the ball home from two metres.
10′ | SEGECIC CLOSE RANGE EFFORT – Lolley finds space on the left and his drilled cross is met at the near post by Segecic, drawing a fingertip reflex save from Sutton.
16′ | LOLLEY THWARTED – Ouahim again the provider as Western United’s defence is stretched, Segecic’s blocked shot falling to Lolley, whose attempt to sweep the ball into the net is deflected inches wide by Sutton’s outstretched foot.
27′ | POST DENIES SYDNEY – Grant ghosts in to meet a Costa free kick and side foot the ball into Sutton, the rebound cannoning off Thurgate and into the post before the threat is cleared.
37′ | SEGECIC GOAL – A wayward back pass by Ibusuki gives Lolley a free run into the box before he rolls the ball inside to Segecic for a clinical left foot goal from 8 metres.
45 + 1′ | SEGECIC AT THE DOUBLE – Ouahim weaves his magic after receiving the ball on the left edge of the box, holding off a challenge before rounding a defender and cutting the ball back to the inexhaustible Segecic, who thumps another left-footed finish home in front of the ecstatic Cove.
46′ | WALATEE GOAL – Ibusuki dinks the ball to the far post, where Walatee steers a downward header beyond Redmayne from an angle inside the six yard box.
62′ | BOZINOVSKI GOAL – Western United midfielder Bozinovski reacts quickest in a goalmouth scramble after a corner, nestling the ball in the net at the second attempt.
68′ | GRANT GOAL – The Sky Blues skipper meets a Ouahim corner with a bullet header into the bottom corner from eight metres.
87′ I RUHS GOAL – Substitute Ruhs chases a lofted ball and holds off a defender to chip the ball past the Redmayne for what proves to be the winner.
Match Report:
Sydney FC and Western United delivered another goalfest between the teams as an Allianz Stadium Christmas crowd was treated to an electrifying contest before the visitors snatched a late 4-3 win, despite the home side twice coming from behind to take the game to the wire.
Having produced 16 goals in their past three encounters, it took less for three minutes for Western United to stun the Sky Blues with a counter-attacking tap-in after Sydney FC went close to scoring at the other end.
By that point it was already apparent that fans were going to spend most of the evening on the edge of their seats, as Sydney FC committed players forward and Western United sought to counter quickly to capitalise on the inevitable spaces.
The visitors were forced to weather wave after wave of attack – sometimes with the help of the post – before their resistance finally broke in the 37th minute.
Following a careless no-look back pass by Western United’s Ibusuki, Joe Lolley surged toward the left edge of the penalty box and laid the ball square, Adrian Segecic timing his run perfectly to stroke home the equaliser in front of the Cove.
It was Segecic at the double on the stroke of half-time nine minutes later, this time capitalising on a surging run by Anas Ouahim that ended with a cut-back, the young midfielder joyfully lashing the ball into the roof of the net to give the home side the advantage at the break.
The lead lasted barely a minute into the second stanza, however, Western United’s Walatee spearing a downward header past Andrew Redmayne after being teasingly set up by a chipped ball from Ibusuki.
The visitors then reclaimed the lead in the 62nd minute as Bozinovski capitalised on an uncleared corner, pouncing when his first attempt was blocked to stab home at the second.
Far from being disheartened, Sydney FC responded six minutes later, Rhyan Grant finding space to bullet home a header from a Ouahim corner.
Western United substitute Ruhs proved to be the Christmas Grinch on this occasion, though, as he collected a long ball over the stretched Sydney defence and surged into the box to chip in the winner over a desperate Redmayne.
What They Said: Ufuk Talay
“I thought we started well and then conceded against the run of play from one moment that we don’t defend well.
“We get ourselves back into the game, and then we allow them back into the game early in the second half.
“It’s very difficult to win games, scoring three goals and conceding four.
“So regardless of who you play at this level, you know you need to score five goals to win the game.
“So very difficult in that sense.
“We need to really do is look in the mirror, because I believe that some players are underperforming at the moment, and they’re not playing at the level that they actually should be playing at.”
“We don’t deal with crosses in the box.
“We have players, we have enough numbers around the ball, and we don’t deal with the first phase, and we don’t deal with the second phase.”
Sydney FC: 1. Andrew REDMAYNE, 4. Jordan COURTNEY-PERKINS, 5. Hayden MATTHEWS, 7. Adrian SEGECIC (25. Jaiden KUCHARSKI 81′) , 8. Anas OUAHIM (13. Pat WOOD 89′), 9. Patryk KLIMALA, 10. Joe LOLLEY, 11. Douglas COSTA (20. Tiago QUINTAL 81′), 17. Anthony CACERES, 23. Rhyan GRANT (C), 41. Alex POPOVIC (3. Aaron GURD 89′).
Unused Subs: 15. Leo SENA, 16. Joel KING , 30. Gus HOEFSLOOT.
Yellow Cards: Ouahim 39′, Courtney-Perkins 59′, Quintal 90+2′.
Red Cards: None
Western United squad: 33. Matthew SUTTON, 6. Tomoki IMAI (C), 9. Hiroshi IBUSUKI, 13. Tate RUSSELL, 19. Noah BOTIC (24. Michael RUHS 76′) , 20. Abel WALATEE (10. Matthew GRIMALDI 76′) , 23. Rhys BOZINOVSKI, (44. Jordan LAUTON 85′), 29. Charbel SHAMOON (22. Kane VIDMAR 53′), 30. Dylan LEONARD, 32. Angus THURGATE, 77. Riku DANZAKI.
Unused Subs: 7. Ramy NAJJARINE, 14. Jake NAJDOVSKI, 1. Tom HEWARD-BELLE.
Yellow Cards: Botic 8′, Imai 18′, Bozinovski 27′, Leonard 35′, Ruhs 90+9′.
Red Cards: None
Venue: Allianz Stadium
Referee: Jack Morgan
Attendance: 11,757
