Kosta Barbarouses was in electric form on Saturday night, scoring twice to help the Western Sydney Wanderers secure a thrilling 3–2 win over the Central Coast Mariners at CommBank Stadium.
The striker says the performance was as much about team resilience as personal milestones, and he’s already looking ahead to one of the season’s biggest matches: the Sydney Derby against Sydney FC this Saturday night.
“Yeah, I thought at least 45 minutes, you know, bar a few bits and pieces, I thought we looked really good,” Barbarouses said.
“Every time we were going forward, it looked like we were going to score, which as a striker is pleasing. We just need to get to 90-minute performances, but we also showed good resilience in the second half – we didn’t fold or waiver.
“They had a lot of the ball, but it didn’t really create much, so that was pleasing as well.”
Barbarouses’ two goals helped the Wanderers claim a hard-fought first win of the season, though he says there’s always room for more.
“I always want more. I hit the post, so I’ll be thinking I should have had a hat-trick. But good to chip in with a couple of goals. It’s been a long week for me, I just got back yesterday morning from the States and straight into it, but to get rewarded with a win, it’s all worth it.”
The striker also reflected on the special atmosphere at CommBank Stadium, now firmly his home ground.
“I always loved playing here as an opponent, I guess, and now I get to call it home. Probably the best atmosphere in the league, so just a great feeling, and I want to keep scoring from here,” he said.
Looking ahead to the Sydney Derby, Barbarouses says the team will carry the momentum from Saturday night into the clash with one of their fiercest rivals.
“No better place to feel it than here, CommBank Stadium. We got an important win for the fans today and hopefully we can repeat that next week,” he said.
“It’s good to get off the mark with the win today. We’re going to give it everything next week, this one’s out of the way, and now we’re focusing on the Derby.”
With Barbarouses in form and the squad riding confidence from a first win, the Wanderers head into Derby Week with momentum, belief, and a packed home crowd ready to roar them on.
