The Wanderers Academy first grade team created plenty of chances, but ultimately lacked the finish in a tight 1-0 loss to Sydney Olympic at Lambert Park on Saturday night.
The Wanderers Academy first grade team created plenty of chances, but ultimately lacked the finish in a tight 1-0 loss to Sydney Olympic at Lambert Park on Saturday night.
It was a fast start for Zwaanswijk’s men as Dean Pelekanos, Dauntae Mariner, and Lochlan Constable all had chances inside the first ten minutes.
The Wanderers attack was slicing through the Olympic defence like butter and the match had the potential to turn ugly had the finishing been better for the Red & Black.
Olympic began to organise better defensively and slowly built their way into the match with a couple of chances of their own.
The middle period of the first half saw the chances slow down until the final ten minutes of the half, where the Wanderers again created a flurry of chances.
Pelekanos was again involved, hitting his effort just over the crossbar on the stroke of half time.
It was once again the Wanderers who looked most likely to break the deadlock in the second half with Rory Jordan showing some quick and tidy footwork to dance into space before firing his shot straight at the keeper.
In the 68th minute of the match Olympic took the lead through Jason Madonis. He collected the ball on the edge of the box and buried his effort into the bottom right corner.
The best chance of the second half fell at the death of the game to Peter Grozos. Mariner was brought down inside the penalty area, but got back to his feet to play in Grozos who was waiting on the edge of the box. He hit his effort first time, looking to curl it into the top left corner, but his effort was just wide.
Frustration was painted on the faces of the Wanderers players who felt they deserved at least a point from the game. The defeat sees them just one point off the foot of the ladder with a match against Blacktown City on the final matchday this Friday.
Sydney Olympic 1 (Madonis 68’)
Western Sydney Wanderers 0
Western Sydney Wanderers: 40. Oliver KALAC (GK), 2. Thomas AQUILINA, 4. Mohamed AL TAAY (c), 5. Noah PAGDEN, 7. Jarrod CARLUCCIO, 9. Dauntae MARINER, 11. Lochlan CONSTABLE (24. Peter GROZOS 65’), 17. Dean PELEKANOS (26. Alessandro LOPANE 80’), 19. Rory JORDAN (33. Bilal CHAHINE 78’), 23. Jamie PERCEVSKI (15. George ANTONIS 87’), 35. Ali AUGLAH
Unused Substitutes: 50. Jack GIBSON (GK), 22. Paolo BONANNI
