A-League: Western United climb to third with 3-0 win over Adelaide
A stunning team goal, which ranks among the best of the A-League season, helped to kickstart Western United’s thumping 3-0 over Adelaide United, but it could have been more. See the latest news from every game.
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One of the team goals of the A-League Men season has helped power Western United to a thumping 3-0 win over a depleted Adelaide United at Ironbark Fields on Sunday evening and catapulted them to third spot on the ladder.
The magic moment came in the 26th minute when goalkeeper Matt Sutton and Tate Russell combined to get it to Matthew Grimaldi whose individual brilliance saw him elude his opponents with class inside his own half.
Grimaldi then sent the ball deep into attack to Abel Walatee whose one-touch cutback connected with Ben Garuccio who found Noah Botic at the top of the six-yard box to complete a sensational end-to-end goal.
Botic has now drawn level with Sydney’s Joe Lolley at the top of the competition’s goalscoring list on nine.
Western went up 2-0 in the 59th minute when Hiroshi Ibusuki converted a penalty by tucking it into the left corner, after sending Adelaide goalkeeper Ethan Cox the wrong way, to score for the first time against his old club who let him go in the off-season. The spot kick came about after Isaias brought down Ibusuki just inside the box.
The icing on the cake for John Aloisi’s 100th game in charge of Western came in the 88th minute when Riku Danzaki’s tame strike from 10 yards on the right rolled along the ground and inexplicably slipped through Cox’s fingers and legs as the Reds custodian failed to execute a simple save after producing so many fantastic stops throughout the match.
UNDERMANNED REDS
Adelaide were missing Dylan Pierias (illness), Ryan Kitto (hip), Luka Jovanovic (Young Socceroos), Jonny Yull (Young Socceroos), Max Vartuli (finger), Javi Lopez (calf), Panashe Madanha (hamstring), Panagiotis Kikianis (Young Socceroos), Bailey O’Neil and Fabian Talladira (Young Socceroos), and they played like a team that was severely weakened.
The Reds might have enjoyed a lot more possession (59 per cent), but the hosts were far more dangerous with massive advantages in total shots (20-9), shots on target (11-0), corners (10-5) and touches in opposition box (39-19).
GOALS GO BEGGING
Western would’ve been scratching their heads as to how their win wasn’t even bigger, given the amount of additional golden chances they squandered.
In the third minute, Ibusuki’s attempt from inside the six-yard box was blocked desperately by Jay Barnett.
From a corner in the fourth minute, the hosts produced another three shots as first Dylan Leonard’s header went into the back of teammate Tomoki Imai, and then a pair of strikes from Rhys Bozinovski and Walatee were denied by a crowded penalty area.
BOTIC BRACE DENIED
The hosts briefly thought they grabbed the lead in the 13th minute when Angus Thurgate’s elegant through ball found Botic who curled it beautifully around Cox from 12 yards, but it was disallowed as Botic strayed offside.
LUCKLESS WALATEE
After his team went up 1-0, Walatee was denied a further three times in the space of seven minutes. Firstly, Cox produced a really good one-handed save to stop Walatee’s bullet from 12 yards, then the 20-year-old unloaded from 20 yards but sent it just wide of the left upright and finally, Botic’s backheel found Walatee whose rocket from 18 yards elicited another brilliant diving save from Cox.
Cox came to Adelaide’s rescue again in the 55th minute when he blocked a pair of close-range attempts from Ibusuki and Walatee and the Reds custodian was called on once more in the 71st minute when he stopped Danzaki’s strike from 12 yards and then had to produce another save to prevent an Isaias own goal from the rebound.
WESTERN RISE
The result snapped Western’s three-game winless run and delivered second-placed Adelaide back-to-back losses for the first time in almost 12 months.
Newcomers Auckland now enjoy a massive eight-point lead on top of the table as their quest for the premier’s plate in their debut season gains significant momentum.
Stunning double save earns Glory draw against Sydney
— Brayden May
Sydney FC missed an opportunity to climb into the upper part of the A-League ladder after being held to a scoreless draw away to Perth Glory on Saturday night.
Glory goalkeeper Oli Sali was the hero for the home side after a series of impressive saves in the latter stages of the match, having largely been untested early.
The highlight came in the 84th minute when Sail produced a stunning double save which eventually earned his side a share of the spoils.
Sydney star Douglas Costa launched a powerful strike from outside the 18-yard box forcing the 29-year-old to parry the ball directly into the path of Anas Ouahim inside the six-yard area.
But Ouahim somehow didn’t find the back of the net as Sail got down low to keep the scores at 0-0.
WHAT A DOUBLE SAVE 🧤🤯
— Isuzu UTE A-League (@aleaguemen) February 22, 2025
Take a bow, Oli Sail. How did he keep Sydney FC out there?!
Watch #PERvSYD live & exclusive on Paramount+. pic.twitter.com/pbQ1ifofsk
Perth’s best chances of the game through skipper Adam Taggart in the first half. The Socceroos forward headed a close range header straight at Sky Blues keeper Harrison Devenish-Meares in the centre of the goal.
Moments later, Taggart broke in behind the Sydney defence and controlled the ball wonderfully out of mid-air before seeing his volley agnoginsly nestle on top of the net.
The draw was Perth’s second in their last three outings.
Victory coach takes aim at ref after ‘fiery’ Melbourne derby
— Ronny Lerner
Melbourne Victory coach Arthur Diles has taken aim at referee Jonathon Barreiro by suggesting he was not the right man to officiate the local derby against Melbourne City on Saturday night at AAMI Park.
The fiery 2-2 draw was riddled with numerous contentious calls and non-calls.
City’s Kai Trewin was perhaps fortunate not to be shown a straight red card when his studs raked Santos’ shin while attempting to win the ball. Instead he was given a caution.
Trewin’s teammate Andres Kuen was lucky not to draw a second yellow for pushing Roderick Miranda in the back well after the Victory captain dispatched of the ball, and Miranda amazingly avoided a second yellow as well for bringing down Aziz Behich in the box and giving away a penalty.
And Victory’s shouts for a penalty when Santos’ bicycle kick cannoned into Nathaniel Atkinson’s hand in the box were turned down, although VAR didn’t call Barreiro over to have a closer look on that occasion.
“I think they should always put the best referees to ref these big occasions and that’s always a reward for the best referees,” Diles said.
“I don’t know if that was the case (on Saturday night).
“The players dealt with it well, that’s for sure. Don’t know about the rest.”
Diles also took aim at the City supporter base for failing to hold up their end of the bargain in ensuring the Melbourne derby is regarded as the best crosstown match-up in the league.
“You look out there tonight when it’s our home game and it’s pretty one-sided in terms of fans,” Diles said.
“You look when it’s their home game and it’s pretty much the same.
“There’s one team that’s really making this derby fill the stands and unfortunately that’s a reality.
“You’d like to see more from the opposing team turn up, that’s for sure, to make it an even bigger derby and to create even more atmosphere.”
Diles’ first game in charge of Victory was a derby back in December, just days after former coach Patrick Kisnorbo dropped a bombshell by leaving the club only seven games into his three-year deal to take up an assistant coaching role in Japan.
Fast forward to Diles’ second derby in charge, with Victory in the upper rungs of the ladder, having lost just one of their last five games, and it’s fair to say things have turned around for them after they went six games without a win following Kisnorbo’s departure.
“It’s come around quickly, that’s for sure. It feels like yesterday I was sitting in this chair for the first time,” Diles said.
“It’s been enjoyable and it’s always enjoyable when you’ve got really good staff around you, good people around you, a great team with a great changeroom.
“When you have that it makes your job easier.”
Defender Brendan Hamill was a very late withdrawal due to soreness, but it’s not considered serious, so he should be in contention to face Brisbane on Saturday.
Mariners hopes of third straight A-League title fading
– Steven Russo for Newswire
The Western Sydney Wanderers have moved back into the top six after an easy 4-0 win over the Central Coast Mariners at Industree Group Stadium.
Victory over the defending champions saw Alen Stajcic’s side finish the match in third spot on the A-League Men’s ladder, but even if Sydney FC, Melbourne City or the Melbourne Victory managed to leapfrog them in later matches, the lowest they could have finished on Saturday night was sixth place.
“We’re looking good heading into the final straight … [but] We’re still not there, there’s still a couple of games to go,” Wanderers coach Alen Stajcic said.
“The Melbourne Cup doesn’t finish at the 2500 metre mark … [but] I’m really comfortable that we’re developing and improving as a team.”
Stajcic’s men were on fire from the outset and had sealed the win by halftime after scoring three goals in the opening 40 minutes.
“The first 10 or 15 minutes was probably some of the best high-pressing football we’ve played this year,” the coach said.
“Looking back … we probably won the game in that 10–15-minute period and set the tone.”
Mariners goalkeeper Adam Pavlesic proved the catalyst for the Wanderers’ first goal when his mis-hit header bounced back towards his open net, creating a comically easy goal for Zac Sapsford after six minutes. Sapsford was involved in the visitors’ second goal too, with his backheel pass setting up Jack Clisby seven minutes later.
Alou Kuol thought he’d pegged one back for the home side in the 39th minute when he pushed the ball into the net after colliding with Wanderers keeper Lawrence Thomas in an aerial contest. However, this was denied after the referee ruled the striker had made illegal contact with the Wanderers’ custodian.
Nicolas Milanovic put the result beyond doubt five minutes before the break when he deflected a Dean Pelekanos shot past the luckless Pavlesic, but things would only get worse for the Mariners shot stopper in the second half.
In the 69th minute, Pavlesic conceded a penalty for tripping Wanderers substitute Marcus Antonsson in the box. While he managed to save the first spot kick, the VAR ordered a re-take after ruling the keeper had come off his line early. Antonsson made no mistake from his second attempt.
The result means that the Mariners’ chances of a third straight championship are fading fast. They currently sit in 10th spot on the ladder on 21 competition points with just eight games remaining.
“It’s not what we wanted and not what we expected … I’m gutted,” Mariners coach Mark Jackson said of the match.
“They outfought us, suffocated us and out-muscled us.”
“We were physically ready, but we fell short.
“We need to get to the bottom of why we allowed a team to do that to us … and rectify it quickly.”
STAJ FUMES OVER DENIED PENALTY
Despite the Wanderers’ dominant first-half performance, Stajcic was still unhappy at the break after the Wanderers were denied what Paramount+ commentator Andy Harper described as a “1000%, deadset penalty.”
With Western Sydney on the attack at the half-hour mark, Milanovic threaded a short ball to Bozhidar Kraev, who was clipped in the box by Brian Kaltak. The decision was reviewed by VAR, which ruled that Kaltak had no case to answer.
“It was just a clear trip,” a measured Stajcic said of the incident post-match.
ZAC ATTACK
Unheralded Western Sydney midfielder Zac Sapsford continued to impress against the Mariners. While the likes of Brandon Borrello and Milanovic attract plenty of plaudits, the underrated Sapsford has become equally as important to the red and blacks. His early strike was his seventh goal of the season, putting him into the picture for this season’s golden boot.
Auckland cement grip at top of A-League table
– Ryan Rosendale
Auckland has completed a clean sweep of rivals Wellington to further cement its grip at the top of the A-League table.
Playing in their third and final derby of the season on Saturday, it was a dominating first-half performance that set up the ladder leaders for an emphatic 6-1 win at Go Media Stadium.
A hat-trick to Neyder Moreno proved the difference with the Columbian star scoring back-to-back goals in the 31’ and 36’ minute before adding another in the 60’.
After a slow opening 10 minutes – where neither side posted a shot at goal – Nando Pijnaker attempted to break the deadlock but a solid block from defender Francisco Geraldes ensured the game remained at an even score.
Auckland forward Max Mata then appeared to start the party early for the Black Knights but his goal was denied by the referee for a push in the back.
Mata recovered to register the assist to Moreno some ten minutes later before he again had the chance to convert, with his deflected shot giving an unmarked Moreno the opportunity to fire another shot into the back of the net.
A VAR challenge couldn’t deny Logan Rogerson from joining the party just before halftime, with the 3-0 lead all coming in the space of a wild 11-minute period for Auckland.
After an early goal from Luke Brook-Smith after the long-break, the Phoenix’s hopes of an upset were restored but he quickly turned from hero to villain after allowing Moreno to slot through his third with a poorly timed cross.
Rogerson then added another in the 80’ minute to snuff out any chance of an unlikely comeback before an injury-time goal to Jesse Randall heaped further pain on Wellington.
The win was Auckland’s fourth on the trot while Wellington suffered its fourth straight loss.
JETS RESURGENCE CONTINUES
Newcastle’s A-League resurgence has continued at the expense of competition cellar dwellers Brisbane Roar.
Chasing a third successive win, the Jets cruised to a 3-1 victory at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday night.
Goals from Japanese winger Kota Mizunuma and former Brisbane midfielder Eli Adams put the Jets 2-0 ahead before Roar captain Jay O’Shea pulled one back for the visitors before halftime with a spectacular long-distance free-kick.
However, any hopes of a Roar revival were dashed just five minutes into the second-half when the Jets restored their two-goal advantage through Clayton Taylor, who was first to react to a loose ball after a shot from teammate Callum Timmins rebounded off the post.
The Roar were disappointed not to be awarded a penalty in the 72nd minute when a shot from substitute Asumah Abubakar, who was making his Brisbane debut after joining the club last week, hit the arm of Jets defender Mark Natta.
Referee Sam Kelly waved play on, with the VAR electing not to intervene.
The Jets’ latest success, which came on the back of consecutive wins over Melbourne Victory and Adelaide United, moved them to 21 points and has kept alive their slim hopes of playing finals football this season.
In contrast, Brisbane remains rooted to the bottom of the ladder, with just six points from 16 matches.
Roar attacking midfielder Keegan Jelacic reflected on his team’s horror campaign.
“It hasn’t been an easy year at all,” Jelacic told Paramount Plus.
“All we can do is work hard, do our best, and hopefully results will start going our way.”
Jets star Lachie Rose was confident his team could force its way into the top-six by the end of the season.
“We want to make finals,” Rose said.
“Everyone underestimated us at the start of the season. We bottled a few games we probably should have won, but now we’ve got that togetherness and we’re fighting to the end to get that result.
“I can’t ask for much more from the boys.”
Originally published as A-League: Western United climb to third with 3-0 win over Adelaide
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