Western Sydney Wanderers have won their fourth consecutive match, defeating Bonnyrigg White Eagles 3-2 in a free-flowing encounter.
Goals to Alex Badolato, Lochlan Constable and Ali Auglah sealed all three points as the lead changed several times over the course of the afternoon.
Sunday’s result at Wanderers Football Park was made even more remarkable by the fact Western Sydney played with 10-men for 30 minutes after Nectarios Triantis was shown a second yellow card.
It was the visitors who opened the scoring after a hectic first 13 minutes when Raymond Miller‘s long-range free-kick was caught in the swirling wind and found its way past Oliver Kalac in goals.
It took less than a minute for Western Sydney to equalise however with Badolato positioning himself perfectly to receive a cut-back and he buried his effort low into the corner of the net.
The sides would go into the break level but the second half would not see an end to the action.
With almost an hour on the clock Triantis was pulled up for a trip and with his second yellow the home side were down to 10-men with Bonnyrigg on the attack.
But displaying some of the confidence they’ve been playing with in recent weeks, Western Sydney instead continued to press and were rewarded only two minutes after the send-off.
Some nice build-up play via Jarrod Carlucio and Auglah saw the former cut it back to a waiting Constable who beat the keeper at his near post with a pin-point strike.
But as was becoming the script in this game, the side that fell behind soon moved level and it was Richard Darko for the away side who poked the ball past Kalac to make it 2-2.
With the end in sight the Wanderers again chanced their arm and it paid off with Carluccio taken down in the box in the 74th minute.
Auglah made no mistake from the spot and despite White Eagles creating a host of chances to steal a point late in the game, Western Sydney’s defence held firm to seal a hard-fought three points.
With four consecutive wins, Patrick Zwaanswijk’s side remain in second position on the ladder and will travel to face St. George City FA next Saturday.
Western Sydney Wanderers 3 (Badolato 14’, Constable 61’, Auglah 74’)
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 2 (Miller 13’, Darko 64’)
Western Sydney Wanderers: 18. Oliver Kalac (GK), 3. Phillip Cancar, 4. Mohamed Al Taay, 7. Jarrod Carluccio, 9. Ali Auglah (19. Joel Bertolissio), 11. Lochlan Constable, 12. Nectarios Triantis, 14. Alessandro Lopane (14. Peter Grozos), 17. George Daniel, 23. Kosta Grozos (10. Reuben Awaritefe), 29. Alex Badolato (15. Alexander Bonetig)
Unused subs: 36. Jack Gibson (GK), 13. Lachlan Macdonald
