The Western Sydney Wanderers have moved back into the top four thanks to a 2-0 win over high flying Western United.
In front of just over 13,000 fans at a boisterous CommBank Stadium, Alex Gersbach’s first ever A-League Men’s goal put the Wanderers ahead just before the break, and he had a part to play in the second goal, which was adjudged to be a Matt Sutton own goal.
The match pitted the two form sides in the competition against each other, with the Wanderers unbeaten in eight and having won their last three in a row at home, against a Western United side who had won five in a row.
Both teams had the best attacks in the competition, but it was the Wanderers who were doing all of the running in the first half of the game.
Zac Sapsford had the first good chance of the match after eight minutes when his decent header on goal was saved by Sutton, and he was at the centre of everything early on.
Minutes later he went on a barnstorming run down the pitch, and eventually squared it to Borrello in a great position, but the outstretched foot of Sutton denied his strike partner a certain goal.
Sapsford was again at the centre of a promising attack in the 27th minute, using his strength and pace to get beyond a defender, and his high drive was well stopped by Sutton.
From the resulting corner, the ball fell to Bozhidar Kraev, and the Bulgarian unleashed a powerful drive that was somehow saved by an unsighted Sutton.
Despite their dominance, it seemed the Wanderers wouldn’t go into half-time with a deserved lead, but then Borrello kept a loose ball in the field of play.
After doing so, he weaved his way into the box and played a smart ball to the onrushing Gersbach, who then pulled off a finish any striker would be proud of as he dinked it over Sutton and into the goal.
The visitors came out of the break with more intent and put the Wanderers under some pressure.
Nicolas Milanovic almost scored against his old side when Sutton spilled a long range effort, but the keeper recovered just in time.
Western United began to turn the screws, only being denied by miraculous goal line defending from the Wanderers, led by Lawrence Thomas and Anthony Pantazopoulos just after the hour mark.
Thomas then pulled off an outstanding reflex save to deny Hiroshi Ibusuki’s point blank header in a sign of how committed the Wanderers were to keeping the away side out.
These defensive contributions would prove invaluable moments later as Gersbach had a hand in the second goal in almost freakish circumstances.
His corner swung to the back post, but Sutton fumbled it and spilled it over the goal line, giving the Wanderers a two-goal buffer.
Western United pushed to get back in the game, with Milanovic pulling off a defensive contribution by deflecting a goalbound header wide of the goal, this coming just after Pantazopoulos and Alex Bonetig combined to deny Noah Botic.
As the game became stretched and reached stoppage time, the Wanderers had a chance to seal the game through substitute Marcus Antonsson, but the angle became tight and his low drive was saved by Sutton.
But it would matter little, as the Wanderers won a fourth home game in a row and made it nine unbeaten.
They also moved back into the top four, and sent a message to the rest of the competition by holding the second best attack to a blank.
The Wanderers have another huge home game next Saturday when they host Melbourne City.
