Macarthur Bulls are up into second spot on the Isuzu UTE A-League ladder after they overcame Western Sydney Wanderers 3-2 in a New Year’s Day classic at CommBank Stadium.
A lively start at CommBank Stadium saw the Bulls take the lead through the impressive Jed Drew in the seventh minute as the winger bagged his fourth goal in nine matches.
Starting for just the third time in his Isuzu UTE A-League career, Spanish superstar Juan Mata gave the home fans something to cheer in the 23rd minute when he scored the equaliser, curling a classy effort beyond Filip Kurto and into the net.
However, the Bulls re-established their lead thanks to a brilliant run and finish from Ariath Piol in the 26th minute before Drew then rifled an unstoppable effort into the top corner to make it 3-1 before the first half was over.
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Wanderers defender Dean Pelekanos was then shown a red card just eight minutes into the second half for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity before Western Sydney substitute Anthony Pantazopoulos made it 3-2 in the 55th minute.
Despite being reduced to 10-men the home side pushed for an equaliser right until the very end but the Bulls held on to move second on the ladder and are now unbeaten in their last six matches.
Leading an all-female team of officials for the first time in an A-League Men’s fixture, referee Casey Reibelt had a big call to make after just 45 seconds at CommBank Stadium following a heavy challenge from Bozhidar Kraev on Germain.
The Bulls skipper was left in a heap on the floor after he was caught late on the ankle by the Wanderers midfielder but Reibelt deemed it to be just a yellow card offence.
Brushing off any signs of injury, Germain should then have opened the scoring in the seventh minute but the Frenchman couldn’t steer his header on target after Wanderers keeper Lawrence Thomas had misjudged the flight of a ball into the box.
In a game that was already swinging from end to end, Wanderers forward Zac Sapsford then had the chance to open the scoring shortly after but his dinked effort flew narrowly over the bar.
The deadlock was eventually broken in the 13th minute though and it came from the boot of one of the Isuzu UTE A-League’s most in-form players.
Played in down the left, Bulls defender Walter Scott picked out Drew inside the box via a deflected cross and the winger coolly tucked the ball into the far corner to make it four goals and five assists in 9 games this season.
Despite going a goal down though, the Wanderers soon rallied; Macarthur defender Ollie Jones producing two quick-fire blocks to keep the hosts at bay but their resistance didn’t last long.
A slick move in the 23rd minute ended with midfielder Josh Brillante finding Mata on the edge of the box and the FIFA World Cup winner did the rest; curling a beautiful low, left-footed shot into the corner to register his first Isuzu UTE A-League goal.
However, with the vast majority of fans inside CommBank Stadium still celebrating Mata’s cool finish, the Bulls quickly re-established their lead thanks to one of the solo goals of the season.
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A quickly taken throw-in from Marin Jakolis found Piol inside the Wanderers’ half who’s clever touch and turn saw him evade the challenge of Alex Bonetig before then driving into the area and slamming the ball beyond Thomas to silence the home crowd.
With Western Sydney once again forced to now find an equaliser, the space was there for Macarthur to punish their opponents on the break and they duly made it 3-1 before half-time thanks to a stunner from Drew.
Played in down the right by Piol, Drew cut inside Wanderers defender Jack Clisby before then chopping back onto his right foot and unleashing an unstoppable strike from a tight angle which flew past Thomas and into the far corner.
Needing a fast start in the second half in order to claw themselves back into the game, the Wanderers were dealt a huge blow in the 53rd minute.
Attempting to race on to a ball in-behind from Drew, Bulls forward Piol was hauled down by Wanderers defender Pelekanos leaving referee Reibelt with little choice but to send off the Western Sydney man for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Despite being reduced to 10-men though the Wanderers quickly rallied as half-time sub Pantazopoulos raced into the area and found the back of the net with a deflected strike just two minutes after his side had a man sent off.
The Wanderers went into all out-attack mode as they battled to find the equaliser and they almost got it in the 64th minute when Marcus Antonsson’s low effort was well saved by Kurto.
Buoyed on by a noisy home crowd the Wanderers continued to push for an equaliser until the very end and had several dangerous moments inside the Bulls box – including a header that went wide from goalkeeper Thomas at a corner – but just couldn’t find the necessary finish.
The result moves Mile Sterjovski’s Macarthur Bulls side up into second spot on the ladder and five points behind league-leaders Auckland FC.
Meanwhile defeat for the Wanderers is their first in five matches and means they miss out on the chance to jump into the top six.
