Round 23 in the Isuzu UTE A-League continues on Saturday with three massive fixtures on the agenda.
First up, Western United played host to the very first Isuzu UTE A-League fixture at their new home in Tarneit; and John Aloisi’s side treated their fans to a phenomenal 4-2 win over Macarthur FC – a game they trailed 2-0 at half-time.
Then, attention turned to the battle between first and second. Central Coast Mariners hosted league-leaders Wellington Phoenix at Industree Group Stadium, and bumped the Phoenix off the top of the tree with a 2-1 win settled by Mikael Doka’s stoppage-time strike.
The action wrapped up at AAMI Park as Melbourne Victory came from one goal down to beat Melbourne City in an enthralling Melbourne Derby.
Western United 4-2 Macarthur FC
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Western United came from two goals down to beat Macarthur FC 4-2 in the club’s very first game at their new home base in Tarneit on Saturday afternoon.
John Aloisi’s side trailed 2-0 at the break after goals to Valère Germain and Ulises Dávila but a second-half blitz inspired the hosts to a special victory at the Regional Football Facility.
Riku Danzaki scored the club’s very first men’s goal at their new home and a Michael Ruhs brace – bookending substitute Matthew Grimaldi’s go-ahead goal – turned a potentially dour day into a triumphant one in Tarneit.
FULL MATCH REPORT: Four goals in 15 minutes spark incredible Western comeback in club’s first game at new home
Central Coast Mariners 2-1 Wellington Phoenix
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A stoppage-time strike from Mikael Doka sealed a dramatic 2-1 win for Central Coast Mariners over Wellington Phoenix and sent the Gosford side above their Saturday-night rivals to the top of the Isuzu UTE A-League table.
The enthralling battle between first and second featured three second-half goals; Ángel Torres opened the scoring in the 61st minute on his 24th birthday but the Colombian’s header was cancelled out by Ben Old’s equaliser off the back of a rampant Phoenix attack.
The visitors looked set to hold onto top spot as 90 minutes of regular time elapsed with the score locked at 1-1 before Doka’s stunning strike from the edge of the area to put the Mariners back in front, and ultimately seal the three points needed to fire his side to the top of the table.
The Mariners and Wellington are now level on 46 points, with the Gosford side taking top spot due to a superior wins total (14 to 13).
FULL MATCH REPORT: Drama in Gosford as stoppage-time stunner settles 1v2 battle and sends Mariners top
Melbourne Victory 2-1 Melbourne City
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Melbourne Victory defender Damien Da Silva’s late headed goal helped his side to a comeback 2-1 win over Melbourne City at AAMI Park on Saturday night.
Tony Popovic’s side were made to work to claim Melbourne Derby bragging rights after Tolgay Arslan’s fourth-minute goal. Victory pegged one back before the break as Bruno Fornaroli scored from the penalty spot, and set the stage for Da Silva to clinch all three points with his 86th-minute header from a corner routine.
The result extended Victory’s gap over fourth-placed Sydney FC to five points and halted their rivals’ push towards the top six. City remain four points behind Western Sydney Wanderers in sixth.
Da Silva has now scored three goals after the 85th-minute mark of games this season, adding to a stoppage-time brace that earned Victory a 2-1 win over Western United in February.
FULL MATCH REPORT: Defender the late hero AGAIN as Victory clinch bragging rights in pulsating Melbourne Derby
