A-League 2015-16: Central Coast Mariners 0-2 Western Sydney Wanderers, Round 8

ON a day of protests and walkouts, the Wanderers made a powerful statement of their own.

Brendan Santalab of the Wanderers celebrates with Romeo Castelen after scoring a goal during the round 8 A-League match between the Central Coast Mariners and the Western Sydney Wanderers at Central Coast Stadium in Gosford, on Sunday, Nov. 29, 2015. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

ON a day of protests and walkouts, the Wanderers made a powerful statement of their own. Goals to Brendon Santalab and Mitch Nichols secured Western Sydney a 2-0 win over the Mariners, climbing to second place on the ladder behind Melbourne Victory only on goal difference.

Tony Popovic’s side were well worth the victory that takes them to their highest league position since they finished second 18 months ago. The fruits of Popovic’s far-reaching off-season overhaul are ripening nicely. “we deserved to win, we dominated from the start,” Popovic said. “The difference on the scoreboard should have been a lot bigger. Andrew Redmayne made a great save at 1-0, and conceding then would have been hard to take, but it shouldn’t have got to that stage.”

Western Sydney won its fifth straight match, defeating Central Coast.

The Mariners’ vaunted attacking style came up short once more, despite coach Tony Walmsley electing to be even more gung-ho than normal. “We took a calculate gamble in the first half, thinking that with four upfront we could cause them some problems and stop them playing out from the back,” said Walmsley. “But we didn’t move the ball quick enough, and the end product wasn’t there. You can’t start like that in the A-League and expect to get away with it.”

After so much talk beforehand about crowd protests, finally there was some football to focus on. Western Sydney were neat and controlled, working the ball intelligently and in Romeo Castelen boasting the pre-eminent attacker of the game.

As early as the second minute Western Sydney almost took the lead, Paul Izzo’s headlong dash from his box to head clear giving Mitch Nicholls the chance to shoot towards the empty net, only for the ball to drift a fraction wide of the post.

Moments later Castelen was put clear and placed his shot beyond Izzo, only to see it rebound off the post. On 15 minutes a carbon-copy move ended with Izzo scrambling the ball away from Castelen’s feet, then on 34 minutes a marvellously constructed move saw Dario Vidosic float a cross to the far post, only for Nikolai Topor-Stanley to head wide.

Brendon Santalab is mobbed by teammates. Picture: Peter Lorimer.

The Mariners’ threat was rather less, Anthony Cacares drawing a sharp save from Andrew Redmayne with a shot and Roy O’Donovan denied at the near post from Josh Rose’s low cross. But the most accurate connection of the first half came when Michael Neill’s sly elbow on Castelen went unpunished. Poor Castelen could not quite produce the finish his approach work warranted — on the hour he was released by a clever lofted pass from Jaushua Sotirio but lifted his shot over the bar. But on 65 minutes a similar move finally secured Western Sydney the lead.

Nicholls was the architect, seeing the run of substitute striker Brendon Santalab and essaying a cute through ball — Santalab kept his cool to slide the ball past Izzo and in.

Frantically, for that is their way, the Mariners sought a way back into the game. O’Donovan almost embarrassed Redmayne, charging down a clearance and watching the ball balloon just wide.

Right at the death Sim’s cross reached O’Donovan on the penalty spot but Redmayne brilliantly turned away the Irishman’s shot. Western Sydney swept upfield, and as the ball pinballed around the Mariners box, Nichols miskicked horribly, but watched the ball trickle in to secure the three points.

Originally published as A-League 2015-16: Central Coast Mariners 0-2 Western Sydney Wanderers, Round 8