Head coach Gary van Egmond has named his extended squad for Sunday afternoon’s clash against Central Coast Mariners at Polytec Stadium.
The Wanderers hit the road on Sunday 22 February for a clash with the Central Coast Mariners at Polytec Stadium, marking the beginning of a demanding stretch of consecutive away fixtures in the Isuzu UTE A-League.
The Red & Black return to action following a dramatic 2-2 draw with Wellington Phoenix at CommBank Stadium – a result that left a sense of what might have been.
A dominant opening half saw Ryan Fraser and Phillip Cancar fire the Wanderers into a deserved 2-0 lead, with the side playing some of its most incisive football in recent weeks.
However, two second-half set-piece goals from Wellington shifted the momentum and forced the Wanderers to settle for a point.
A late opportunity before the comeback, falling to Kosta Barbarouses, underlined just how fine the margins can be at this stage of the season.
The Mariners, meanwhile, enter the contest in strong form. They secured a 2-1 away victory over Brisbane Roar last weekend, with veteran defender Storm Roux netting a late winner to seal consecutive victories and continue their rise up the ladder.
With confidence building on the Central Coast and the Wanderers determined to convert performance into points, Sunday’s encounter shapes as a critical early test in a challenging run of fixtures away from home.
Western Sydney Wanderers FC: 3.Alex GERSBACH, 5.Dylan SCICLUNA, 7.Ryan FRASER, 8.Stevie UGARKOVIC, 9.Kosta BARBAROUSES, 11.Hiroshi IBUSUKI, 14.Phil Cancar, 17.Jarrod CARLUCCIO, 18.Jacob FARRELL, 19.Ruon TONGYIK, 20.Lawrence THOMAS (GK), 21.Aydan HAMMOND, 22.Anthony PANTAZOPOULOS, 23.Bozhidar KRAEV, 24.Nathan BARRIE, 25.Josh BRILLANTE, 26.Brandon BORRELLO, 30.Jordan HOLMES (GK), 32.Angus THURGATE, 45.Alou KUOL.
Ins: 24.Nathan BARRIE (returns from injury), 45.Alou KUOL (promoted)
Outs: N/A
Unavailable: N/A
