Summary
A denouement in the end as Wanderers proved far too strong during that opening stanza. The in-form Roar huffed and puffed, but displayed nowhere near the final-third precision of their counterparts, and their fans will be left to rue a first half where they were second best in almost every department.
Clinical finishing, three bullet headers and inch-perfect delivery from the Wanderers, and when they needed him most their marquee man Oriel Riera stood tall to head home just his second brace of the season.
Ikonomidis was immense, with Cejudo also putting in one of the more lively performances of his season. In fact there weren’t too many in red-and-black who weren’t at the top of their game.
The win sees Wanderers leapfrog both Roar and the Glory back into that all-important sixth place. It sets up an intriguing last round as those two sides then lock horns, with the Wanderers able to take in that result before their final round trip to Adelaide.
Nevertheless, all three sides still with the potential to make the A-League finals. It’s set up nicely for one of the more interesting last round fixtures in recent memory.
Thanks for your company tonight – more enjoyable for those not bleeding orange I imagine. We’ll see you back here anon as the A-League ramps up for its finals series!
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Full-time: Western Sydney Wanderers 3-0 Brisbane Roar
That’s all she wrote!
Well, Josep Gombau called for a reaction after a disappointing loss against the Victory last week, and with the season literally on the line, his men in red-and-black have well-and-truly done the business.
90 min: Three minutes of added time, and the Roar look to fashion something at the death from a corner.
Bautheac with a decent ball, but Riera rises well to showcase his heading prowess at both ends. Mandatory close up of JA on the Roar bench who isn’t quite chewing wasps, but certainly looks the less happy of the two bosses.
87 min: Gameiro tries to fire an effort goalwards, but the Roar attacker fails to connect cleanly.
Wanderers happy to run the clock down from here, they don’t seem too plussed about chasing any additional goals.
85 min: Holman still buzzing around, the Roar have looked notably sharper since his involvement. You forget he’s only 34 sometimes such is the grizzled cro-magnon auro the boy from Bankstown eludes. He’s at the heart of most attacks for the Roar lately, but they’re just not sticking.
Goal! Disallowed! Western Sydney Wanderers 3-0 Brisbane Roar
82 min: Deary me. VAR has had it’s say, and no doubt Aloisis John or Ross will have theirs about that post match or midweek.
Maccarone looked to have marked his tenth of the season after a clever leave from Holman, but the Australian was deemed to have interfered from play from an offside position.
Tough on the Roar. One of those that’s probably technically correct, but sides have got away previously.
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80 min: Holman looks for Maccarone once more, but his bisecting pass has just too much on it for the veteran.
Brisbane come again – despite the comfortable lead Gombau will be wary of his side sitting back..
78 min: Big chance, Roar! Holman clear in the box, he waits for a lumbering Maccarone to join the fray, but he can’t hold off any longer and fires a disappointing shot-cross that is deflected anyway.
They need to make these count, Brisbane. At least one goal here could still rattle their hosts.
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75 min: O’Toole on for Franjic the final substitute from Aloisi. Still plenty to play for in the final fifteen minutes of this one, as should Wanderers hold on, goal difference could yet come into play next week.
And it’s Santalab on.. for Carrusca. Josep bottles it. Great chance to sub Riera and reignite the A-League’s favourite player-coach rolling spat.
72 min: McKay tigerish as ever as he wins it back inside the Wanderers’ back third, but Bautheac can’t fashion a shooting opportunity.
Gombau goes to the bench, and its an appreciative hand from the home fans for Baccus Snr who got through a power of work. He makes way for Lustica.
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70 min: FBK makes way – on comes Gameiro as Aloisi looks to fresh legs.
Baby Baccus with a driven effort; not the worst that, it certainly had enough on it to capture the attentions of Young in the Roar goal.
68 min: Lively stuff from Ikonomidis! He’s leading the Roar defence on a merry dance and fires a tempting cross across the face; but Riera had peeled deep and there was nobody else there to tap home!
65 min: Shot! Holman! For half a second that looked very ominous for home fans, as the experienced former-Socceroo jinked inside onto his dangerous left peg, but he didn’t quite get the strike he would have liked. On target, but safe enough for Janjetovic.
This is really starting to open up.
64 min: Riera with a bending effort.. but it drifts wide of the far post!
He’s up for this hattrick tonight. Ooh, go on Josep. Sub him off just for giggles.
62 min: Baby Baccus in the book. Bad Baby Baccus! An accumulation of fouls there, and again it’s a set-piece opportunity for the Roar.
Maccarone with the initial flick, but it evades an on-rushing Franjic at the far post. They need to make some of these half-chances count if they’re to find anything here tonight, the Roar.
60 min: Skipper for the evening Hamill goes in the book for an ‘agricultural’ slide on Maccarone. Bit grim getting done for pace by a guy who’s older than Yoda, but there you go.
Ikonomidis keeping the Roar looking over their shoulder though with a fast break that had Brisbane’s backline scrambling.
57 min: FBK with a cheeky effort from distance. Technically a set-piece, and nominally intended for Maccarone who had peeled to the near post, but you almost suspect the Tunisian was hedging his bets there.
A goal would make things a wee intriguing here, especially with the firepower of Holman and Maccarone on the pitch.
55 min: Shot! It’s Hingert who sends his boot through a loose ball, following decent work from Maccarone. It flicks the side netting, and Pepper heads the subsequent corner wide.
Aloisi, John has seen enough – it’s Holman on for a subdued Henrique.
52 min: Maccarone with the spectacular! He attempts the overhead but doesn’t quite connect cleanly. It was a mis-struck clearance from Baby Baccus that provided the opportunity but the former Middlesborough man couldn’t capitalise.
Meanwhile at the other end, it’s a terrific clearance from Hingert that denies Riera his hattrick! Teasing stuff from Western Sydney once more.
50 min: Some intricate stuff here from the hosts. The balance of double Baccus appears to have given Cejudo a touch more freedom to strut his stuff between the Roar lines as he rotates with Carrusca to evade the defensive attention of McKay and Kristensen.
47 min: Post! A mazy dribble from Cejudo and a clever backheel finds Ikonomidis. He rolls a well-placed effort and Young watches in relief as it just flicks the base of his lefthand upright on its way wide.
They’ve picked up where they’ve left off, Western Sydney.
Second half!
45 min: And we’re back! No changes from either side at HT, but you can imagine the vastly experience Brett Holman isn’t too far away for the visitors.
So that’s that. Any bold Oranje fans out there willing to stake their reputation that their lads can reel this one back?
Hopefully some of the RBB faithful have snuck in tonight incognito, because it would be a shame to have missed this first half performance.
Meanwhile, chapeau this man.
Fantastic that @brisbaneroar have joined the @RBB_net in boycotting this match as well! Great solidarity in the league #footballfansfightback #WSWvBRI
— Michael Turner (@mturnerATB) April 7, 2018
Half-time: Western Sydney Wanderers 3-0 Brisbane Roar
45 min: So ends a remarkable half of A-League action!
How’d you see that one – were Roar poor, or Wanderers just too clinical?
Either way it’s a commanding lead in the battle for the top six. Poor John Aloisi will be either thumbing through a Churchill quotes book or sending brother Ross to find old VHS tapes of Wollongong Wolves v Perth Glory to inspire their team from here. Cripes.
45 min: Frustration from the Roar defence here as Pepper goes in heavily on Carrusca and earns the ire of referee Ams for his efforts. Into the book, sir.
It’s another dangerous set-piece opportunity, and this time it’s Ikonomidis who looks like he fancies it. What can he fashion..
But the wall stands tall!
42 min: Wowee. Where’s this been from the Wanderers?!
They’ve been largely hit and miss over the last seven rounds, with only two four-goal hauls against Wellington Phoenix to show for their efforts. But they’re putting the in-form Roar to the sword here!
Goal!! Western Sydney Wanderers 3-0 Brisbane Roar (Ikonomidis)
39 min: Deary me – forget a two-goal buffer, Wanderers have gone again!
The hosts opening up the Roar seemingly at will; Carrusca with space and almost finds Riera for a tap-in from about 2m out. It evades the Spaniard but his compatriot Llorente recycles with a terrific improvised outside of the boot jabbed-cross and this time it’s the Socceroo applying the bullet header. Gee, they’re finishing with aplomb from the noggin tonight, the Wanderers!
36 min: Wanderers now looking reasonably comfortable here – indeed Gombau will be understandably impressed if his side can go in with a two-goal lead given how much is at stake on tonight’s game.
Another set piece from Carrusca and again he’s whipped it dangerously into the ‘corridor of uncertainty’. The veteran Maccarone does well defensively to prevent it reaching Riera once again.
33 min: Baby Baccus in strongly on FBK and referee Kurt Ams blows for the foul. That looks like something that coach Gombau might have perhaps emphasised pre-game – getting good pressure around Brisbane’s No.10 for the night to deny him the space to dictate proceedings.
30 min: Wanderers resolute as Roar fire in a dangerous cross, but its comfortably defended. A touch of sitting on their heels perhaps from the hosts, as Brisbane enjoy their best spell of the match, territory & possession wise.
27 min: Bautheac with half a chance for the Roar, but his decision making lets him down.
He’s been lively across the season, but for a man of his pedigree many fans in orange might be a touch disappointed by his end product this campaign. Just the two goals for the Frenchman.
24 min: So seven shots to one to the hosts, so far – a seemingly fair reflection of their dominance across the first quarter of this one. What can the brothers Aloisi do to fire their chargers back into this one?
21 min: FBK and Bautheac try to combine for the Roar with a clever flicked one-two inside the box, but the French speakers have overcooked that one slightly, and Ben Khalfallah is adjudged offside.
18 min: Well, how bout this. The season on the line, and the Wanderers’ top man has delivered!
He’s no Dino Kresinger, sure, but he’s well and truly earned a handshake from his beleaguered coach tonight, has Riera. They’ve not seen eye-to-eye those two, but unless the Catalan hooks him, you’d imagine it will be all smiles on that front tonight.
Goal!! Western Sydney Wanderers 2-0 Brisbane Roar (Riera)
15 min: Ooh, he’s up for this one! Terrific pinpoint cross from Carrusca once more, this time from live play, and Riera has thumped another fine header.
Young gets a strong hand to deny the Spaniard, but can only watch haplessly on as the ball falls kindly to the feet of Riera who duly tucks home.
And he’s equalled the best ever return for a Wanderers striker with his 14th of the campaign!
12 min: It’s Wanderers very much in the ascent early on as Cejudo and Ikonomidis continue to probe around the box.
That said, another sharp transition and Maccarone’s found FBK in behind Clisby! The Tunisian fires a strong shot.. but Janjetovic is equal to the task and holds well!
9 min: Shot block! Fine positional awareness from Pepper to deny Cejudo.
Wanderers with a well-worked effort as Risdon picked out his Spanish teammate, whose driven shot was well anticipated by the Roar utility.
6 min: A long ball direct pass almost finds Maccarone through, but the Roar veteran isn’t able to make the most. At 38 he’s not exactly noted for his pace but with nine goals this campaign he’s more than silenced many of the knockers, has the Italian.
Goal!! Western Sydney Wanderers 1-0 Brisbane Roar (Riera)
4 min: Phwoar! Hello, boys. A wickedly whipped ball from Carrusca, and it’s given some from the Spanish marquee!
What a header! From just inside the 18 yard box he’s given that the full crane of the neck and thumped it past Young between the sticks.
Just the start for Gombau and the home fans!
3 min: A fine dispossession from Baccus Snr almost launches a counter-attack for the hosts, but Pepper in his continued role of makeshift centre back sees the danger away comfortably.
A cheap foul though gives Carrusca a set piece opportunity – what can Wanderers make from this?
Kick off!
1 min: Two enter, only one will leave! (ish)
Wanderers get us underway – Riera with an early touch before Ikonomidis rolls a very early effort goalwards, but it’s comfortably collected in the Roar goal by Young.
We’re not too far away from kick-off, your tips ahead of this one?
Wanderers have done an impressive job of looking decent but not necessarily getting the biscuit in recent months, whereas Roar have shown every millimetre of their experience to grab some decent results.
Will the experience of FBK, Maccarone, McKay et al see the Roar home? Or will Baby Baccus and their fancy Spanish buddies run over their visitors? Our learned comrades at FoxSports have just called a Brisbane clean sweep. Let us know your thoughts!
Kia ora koutou! Good evening all.
Rich Parkin here in the chair to take you through what bills as a decisive clash tonight. There’ll be some nervous WSW fans inside the cavernous ANZ Stadium tonight that’s for sure, with their side’s season hanging by a thread.
As always, nobody enjoys travelling in the quiet carriage – so if you’re keen to join tonight’s coverage fire us a tweet or email. Quips, musings, reflections welcome.
Before we get going though, some team news:
Wanderers:
Janjetovic (gk); Llorrente, Clisby, Hamill (c), Risdon; Keanu Baccus, Kearyn Baccus, Carrusca; Cejudo, Ikonomidis, Riera
Bench: Suman (gk), Lustica, Santalab, Sotirio, Mourdoukoutas
Roar:
Young (gk); Hingert, Bowles, Pepper, Franjic; McKay (c), Kristensen, Bautheac, Henrique, Ben Khalfallah, Maccarone
Bench: White (gk), O’Toole, Oxborrow, Gameiro, Holman
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Preamble
In a season that’s been dominated by off-field headlines it’s refreshing to preview a match that holds genuine fascination with the stuttering Western Sydney Wanderers playing host to the fast-finishing Brisbane Roar.
Wanderers have won just one in their last six in a season that’s seemingly stumbled ever since foundational coach Tony Popovic sensationally left the club on the eve of the season.
Conversely, the much-maligned ‘Dad’s Army’ from Queensland have put together an impressive run in recent weeks as they enter this clash unbeaten in four, with coach John Aloisi and his staff performing apparent miracles given some of the club’s off-field machinations this season.
With two rounds to play Wanderers have slipped to an unlikely 8th position, with Perth Glory’s shock upset of second-placed Newcastle Jets opening up a fascinating three-way tussle for what is presumably the last-remaining finals spot.
The equation is simple – lose tonight and Josep Gombau’s expensively assembled squad will be receiving an off-season early mark, joining Wellington Phoenix and Central Coast Mariners in the spectator seats.
Win, and the hosts will set up a tantalising last round battle that will set both Brisbane and Perth against each other, before the Wanderers then face Gombau’s old club, Adelaide with their destiny in their own hands.
A proper cup final therefore – don’t miss a single kick as we take you through all the action here, from 5.30pm (AEDT) onwards.
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