The Red & Black made the most of a last-minute pre-season hit-out, running out 3-1 winners over Blacktown Spartans at Wanderers Football Park on Wednesday night.
It didn’t take long for the Wanderers to find their rhythm, with new signing Kosta Barbarouses opening the scoring inside the opening three minutes. Some slick midfield play carved open the Spartans’ defence before the New Zealand international cooly slotted home to make it 1-0.
The Wanderers kept their foot on the gas with chances falling to Steven Ugarkovic and Brandon Borrello, while Ben Mewett looked lively in his first pre-season start for the club.
Barbarouses continued to be a threat, linking up with Borrello and Mewett before doubling the lead just after the half-hour mark – this time with a brilliant header from a pinpoint Mewett corner.
The Spartans pulled one back late in the first half, sending the sides into the break at 2-1, but the Wanderers remained firmly in control.
A number of changes after the restart saw opportunities for Alaat Abdul-Rahman, Phil Cancar, Edmund Haddad, Alou Kuol and Awan Lual as the team continued to build fitness ahead of the season.
While the second half was a more even contest, the Wanderers still created chances with Kuol and Alaat going close.
The result was sealed in the final minutes of the match when Alou Kuol fired a ball across the face of the goal and Awan Lual was on hand to fire past the keeper, making it 3-1.
It capped off a strong performance and another productive pre-season outing for the Red & Black.
The Wanderers express their appreciation to Blacktown Spartans for a challenging pre-season friendly.
