Three second-half goals saw Western Sydney Wanderers storm to victory against Melbourne City at AAMI Park.
The first half was devoid of clear-cut chances, with the visitors dominating possession for the majority of the period but failing to find a clinical finish. Melbourne City remained fairly dangerous on the counter-attack, with the likes of Harry Novillo lurking in the front third. City’s strongest chance occurred inside the first fifteen minutes, with former Melbourne custodian Andrew Redmayne’s poor pass intercepted by Novillo in the box. However, Redmayne atoned from his mistake by blocking Novillo’s subsequent shot.
The second half commenced with a double substitution for Melbourne City, with John Van’t Schip looking for solidarity in defence from youngster Jack Clisby and spark in attack from Corey Gameiro.
The Wanderers took the lead in the 60th minute, with some intelligent play from Dario Vidosic and Scott Neville resulting in a neat tap in for midfielder Mitch Nichols. Piovaccari doubled the Wanderers lead in the 60th minute, scoring the first goal of his A-League career. However, the goal was tainted with controversy, with Dario Vidosic appearing to be offside before Piovacarri scored.
Melbourne City’s best effort in the second half came from a Bruno Fornaroli free kick in the 77th minute, which was handled by Redmayne. City struggled to get a handle on the match, and a surging run from Western Sydney substitute Jaushua Sotirio allowed Mark Bridge to put away his 50th goal in the A-League and wrap up the three points for the visitors.
Wanderers continue to showcase new style
Gone are the days of Wanderers counter-attacking style, with the signing of new Spanish players allowing the Western Sydney side to undertake a new possession-based approach. A focus on playing out from the back is a noticeable difference to the Wanderers of old.
With Vidosic and Nichols starting to find some serious form in the midfield and Romeo Castelen recovering from injury, a third win on the trot for Western Sydney could make them an ominous side to face in future rounds.
Melbourne City lack creative spark
Despite the presence of dangerous players Harry Novillo and Bruno Fornaroli, Melbourne City struggled to exert their influence in the final third. The absence of Aaron Mooy, who was away on Socceroos duty, facilitated a creative void for the home side. The performance really highlighted the reliance on Mooy to control proceedings for City, and the loss puts further scrutiny on John Van’t Schip.
Federico Piovaccari scores his first goal of the A-League
After six rounds of the A-League, pressure was certainly starting to mound for Italian marquee Federico Piovaccari. The striker finally got his name on the scoresheet in the 60th minute, albeit in controversial circumstances. Melbourne City’s defence were punished for switching off after the linesman raised his flag and not playing the whistle. Despite heated protestations from City players that Vidosic had been offside in the lead-up play to the goal, Piovaccari’s goal stood to the dismay of the home crowd.
Outside90 Player of the Year
Mitch Nichols – 3
Dario Vidosic – 2
Mark Bridge – 1
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