A-League news and results: Macarthur, Western United play out thriller
Macarthur pounced on a “brain fade” from Western United to salvage a draw but it was a game which could have gone either way. Read the biggest news from Round 18 here.
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Macarthur has come from behind to secure a thrilling 2-all A-League draw with Western United but both sides will be frustrated to not have come away with the three points.
The Bulls overturned a 2-1 halftime deficit through Marin Jakoliš in the 79th minute after pounced on an errant high ball from United fullback Tate Russell deep in his own half, with his deflected effort setting up a grandstand finish.
“A brain fade from Tate Russell to play that ball at this stage of the game,” former A-League manager Glen Moss declared in commentary.
Bulls substitute Daniel De Silva thought he had given his side all three points with a tap-in in injury time, only to be ruled out for offside.
Moments later, the 27-year-old had another chance to find the back of the net, rounding United goalkeeper Matt Sutton, only to strike the post and miss an opportunity he should have taken.
United had a chance to take the lead again about a minute later only for Luke Vickery to be denied the winner by Tomislav Uskok’s stunning block with the goal gaping.
Before the frantic finish, Western had three wonderful chances to extend their advantage to 3-1 around the 70-minute mark but missed all three opportunities.
“I think Western would be disappointed not coming away with the three points with the chances they’ve had,” Moss said.
“But again, (Macarthur goalkeeper Filip) Kurto has done his job today.”
Noah Botic opened the scoring with his fifth goal in four games for Western, heading home from close range from a perfectly weighted cross from Ben Garuccio on the left.
Macarthur hit back less than 10 minutes later through Jake Hollman who wonderfully struck a first time ball from the edge of the area.
United took the lead into the break after Abel Walatee showed brilliant feet, moving the ball back onto his right foot inside the area, before powerfully finishing into the top corner.
The result saw John Aloisi’s side climb to third on the ladder with home games against the top-two, Auckland FC and Adelaide United, to come.
Macarthur sit fifth ahead of Melbourne Victory on goal differential.
Sydney stuns with 97th minute equaliser in Derby
Forget Lazarus. When it comes to revivals, nothing could beat what Sydney FC served up in the closing stages of Saturday’s night derby at Allianz Stadium.
For 87 minutes, the Sky Blues had been completely dominated by their cross-town rivals.
Chasing their first derby win in 442 days, the Zac Sapsford-inspired Wanderers had raced to a deserved 3-1 lead after 48 minutes.
For most of the match, Ufuk Talay’s men looked bereft of ideas in attack, their shots were wayward and their passes weren’t sticking. Then in the closing stages, something just clicked.
It started in the 88th minute when Douglas Costa’s incisive pass found super-sub, Adiran Segecic, free in the box. In a piece of sublime skill, the 20-year-old turned on the spot before lofting the ball into the right corner of the goal to give the home side a glimmer of hope.
Suddenly it was game on again. The Sky Blues poured men forward, putting pressure on Wanderers keeper Lawrence Thomas, who continued to rise to the challenge, saving shots from everywhere as the game entered the dying stages of eight minutes’ worth of injury time.
Step up Anthony Caceres. With the clock reading 96 minutes, skipper Rhyan Grant rose to meet a Douglas Costa corner. Once again Lawrence pulled off an enormous save, but the ball fell to Caceres whose sliding shot salvaged a miraculous 3-all draw (and third place on the A-League Men’s ladder) for the home side.
Despite Western Sydney’s dominance, it was the home side who opened the scoring in the 7th minute when Caceres’ sublime through ball set up Patryk Klimala. However, the Wanderers replied immediately when Harrison Devenish-Meares’ parry of a Jack Clisby cross allowed Sapsford to grab a simple equaliser.
Sapsford proved the catalyst for the Wanderers’ second, an own goal to Grant. After receiving the ball 30 metres out from the Wanderers’ goal, Sapsford flicked the ball onto Nicolas Milanovic. Sapsford then raced 70 metres downfield, receiving a return ball from Milanovic, before putting in a cross, which ricocheted off Grant into the Sydney net. Initially denied due to an offside ruling against Milanovic, the goal was awarded after VAR intervention.
Technology also played a role in Western Sydney’s third goal. With 47 minutes gone, midfielder Brandon Borrello played an incisive pass to set up an easy tap in Sapsford. Once again, the lineman’s flag went up for offside and, once again, VAR helped overturn the initial decision. Sapsford was onside, but Sydney players complained that midfielder Leo Sena had been fouled by Josh Brillante in the build-up.
Socceroo’s perfect Aus return ends with shock loss
Former Socceroos goalkeeper Mitch Langerak’s perfect return to the A-League has come to an end following Melbourne Victory’s shock 3-0 loss to Newcastle on Saturday.
Langerak had not put a foot wrong in his first two games back in Victory colours after a lengthy stint overseas, with his return having coincided with the Melbourne club winning back-to-back matches, and not conceding a goal in either contest, after a run of six games without a win.
However, the Victory’s bid for a third successive win was denied by the Jets, who scored three goals during a stoppage-time period that went for almost 25 minutes after the game was delayed due to a medical emergency in the crowd.
Just before the delay, Langerak gave away a penalty after his arm caught the side of Newcastle substitute Lachie Rose’s head in a failed attempt to punch a through ball to safety.
Jets captain Kosta Grozos scored the spot kick after the resumption of play, before Clayton Taylor and Rose also found the back of the net to seal Newcastle’s first home win of the season.
Earlier, the Victory had a host of first-half chances but were repeatedly denied by rookie Newcastle goalkeeper Noah James, who was making his first A-League appearance since August 2020 – and only his second overall – after Jets coach Rob Stanton axed regular gloveman Ryan Scott.
It ended a run of 41 successive A-League starts for Scott – who made a costly error in Newcastle’s 2-2 draw with Central Coast last Saturday – since his move to the Jets from Western United ahead of the 2023-24 season.
Stanton’s selection call proved to be correct, with James denying a host of Victory players, including Zinedine Machach, Clarismario Santos and Adama Traore, with a string of saves.
The Jets then thought they had taken the lead in the 33rd minute when Victory defender Adama Traore, who started at the expense of left-back Kasey Bos, headed the ball into his net while under pressure from Newcastle’s Thomas Aquilina.
However, Aquilina was correctly ruled to have been in an offside position, and the game remained scoreless.
Taylor should have put the hosts ahead in the 47th minute but dragged his shot wide of the post with only Langerak to beat.
Soon after the Jets were again denied a goal by an offside ruling after substitute Lachie Rose guided the ball past Langerak off a cross from Adams.
However, replays showed that Adams had marginally strayed into an offside position before receiving the ball earlier in the movement.
Horror goalkeeper error costs Glory
A horror mistake from Perth Glory goalkeeper Oli Sail has allowed Central Coast Mariners to grab a share of the spoils on Friday night.
Mariners teenage sensation Haine Eames was credited with his second goal of the season but it was Sail’s error which took the headlines.
16-year-old Eames struck from range with the ball seemingly directly at Sail who looked set to make a comfortable save but the ball slipped directly under his body and into the back of the net.
Glory had opened the scoring through last season’s golden boot winner Adam Taggart who struck from the edge of the 18-yard box.
A mazy run through midfield from Lachie Wales saw the ball fall kindly to Taggart who powerfully struck the ball into the bottom corner.
City sees red after Adelaide skipper’s lucky escape
– Val Migliaccio
Adelaide United coach Carl Veart said his half-time talk was brutal, but it hit the mark.
Veart’s men beat Melbourne City 1-0 at Coopers Stadium on Friday after a very poor first half in extremely windy conditions at Hindmarsh.
“I said to the boys at half-time, “that’s 45 minutes we need to forget about,” Veart said.
“There’s no point in discussing tactical or anything like that, we’ll just completely forget about that and focus on what we need to do in the second half.
“We knew that we’d have the wind (behind us) and we knew that we could get in behind if they (City) kept their high line).
“We used our speed to get behind them and we played a little bit more direct.
“The boys did that well.”
Archie Goodwin scored the winner seven minutes after the break when his deft header from a Zach Clough corner was enough to sink coach Aurelio Vidmar’s City.
City was in complete control in the first half but lacked the killer instinct.
“That first half was not very good but in saying that we responded in the second half and we dug in and showed great resilience to come away with a win,’’ Veart said.
“It was a great sign of improvement in our squad.”
Veart’s masterstroke was the introduction of Yaya Dukuly for Ben Folami at the start of the second half.
Dukuly gave Adelaide much-needed width with the young winger wreaking havoc on the left wing before Goodwin scored his eighth goal of the season.
“I know with the wind we were able to get a little bit more in behind them and with Yaya, he’s very direct and we can use his speed to get in and cause them a few issues,’’ Veart said.
“That showed in the first five or 10 minutes of him coming on.
“It put them on the back foot a little bit and that’s all we can ask of the all the subs that came on.
“You know Austin (Ayoubi) and Ryan (White) when they came on they gave us a lot of energy and made it very difficult for City.”
With Veart content with the outcome after a horrendous opening half, Vidmar was disappointed with the loss at a ground which had given him so much joy as a former boss and player of Adelaide United.
Vidmar was pleased with the opening 45 minutes but concerned about the second half.
“It’s never easy to continue to play with that intensity the way we played in that first half,’’ Vidmar said.
I thought we were very, very good in that first half.
“We had that dominance, but we weren’t able to score that goal and you’re always a bit more under pressure.
“It was disappointing from our end, we conceded from a set piece.”
Roar comeback secures draw
A-League cellar dwellers Brisbane Roar fought back from a goal down to secure a 1-1 draw with Wellington Phoenix at Sky Stadium on Thursday.
A win would have moved Brisbane to within a point of fellow battlers Perth Glory, who play on Friday night against Central Coast Mariners.
However, the Roar were “happy” with a point after a 71st-minute equaliser from Henry Hore, who made the most of a clever pass from substitute Keegan Jelacic.
The Phoenix had taken the lead 10 minutes earlier through defender Isaac Hughes, who took advantage of sloppy defending from the visitors to head a corner from Hideki Ishige into the back of Brisbane’s net.
Roar skipper Jay O’Shea, who had a second-half shot that hit the post, said his side showed “great character” to come back after trailing 1-0.
“It’s a tough place to come when the crowd gets going as well so we’re happy with the point,” O’Shea told Sky Sport New Zealand.
“We probably could have gone on to win the game as well. We knew we had to go at them, and we had a good game plan, and in the second-half, by the end, we were in the ascendancy.”
The Phoenix, who remain 10th on the ladder, felt they should have been awarded a first-half penalty when Ishige went down following a tackle from Roar centre-back Walid Shour.
However, referee Jack Morgan stuck with his decision not to award a penalty after the VAR recommended that he check video footage of the incident.
Phoenix captain Scott Wootton believed it was a “stonewall” penalty.
“But that’s not an excuse (for not winning),” Wootton said.
“We need to look at ourselves and we need to be better.”
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