Was Western Sydney's win over Perth a turning point for 2015-16?

It was a rainy day in Western Sydney as the Wanderers marked the first anniversary of their Asian Champions’ League success with what may be one of their most important victories to date.

Last season it took 13 games to record a first success of the campaign and only three more wins followed. Once again winless in the first three games of 2015-16, it was evident that the Wanderers’ second home outing was a must-win proposition. Firstly, because poor runs and downward momentum becomes more difficult to turn around once they are prologned. Secondly, the new-look Wanderers team needed to send a message to the League and, above all else, the fans.

They did just that. Building upon the improvements shown away to Adelaide United and Sydney FC, Tony Popovic’s men were more solid in defence and after Dario Vidosic saw his first start, it was tthe Croatian that scored the only goal of the game. The first-half was a very solid display and while the latter stages were not bad either, it was more about shoring things up and snuffing out threats – except that Perth, like Adelaide United and Sydney FC before them – were not particularly inspiring or impressive opposition despite boasting some quality players and certainly did not offer a threat that Wanderers could not handle on the day.

With his first goal, it is expected that Vidosic can be part of a productive midfield along with the already successful Mitch Nichols.  Yet for all the improvements made in defence and midfield, up front Federico Piovaccari has yet to make the expected impact and appears not to be at full fitness, while Brendon Santalab came on to a rapturous applause from the more than 14,000 who were present. Wanderers home crowds have held up well this season, given the opener against Brisbane Roar was on a Thursday night, while Sunday’s game took place amid stormy weather.

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Have Wanderers turned the corner with this win? The feeling at the end of the game was both joy and relief – the return of a once-customary feeling at Wanderland that was sampled all too rarely last season, and relief that the worst form in the club’s short history is over. Certainly a message has been sent to the A-League and to their own fans – the Wanderers are back in the mix for 2015-16 and the best is yet to come, as so far signs have been encouraging.

They will receive a sterner test in next two games on the road to a reborn Newcastle Jets and a Melbourne City side who have yet to step up a gear. Ominously, both teams have former Wanderers players in their ranks. Matt Simon underlined in Sydney FC’s win at Central Coast precisely what to expect in such encounters – and both Sydney FC and Western Sydney have made a bit of a habit of letting players go that they shouldn’t have, only to be left very sore by it all.