Two goals from Trent Buhagiar helped Sydney FC to an important 3-2 derby win over Western Sydney Wanderers at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium on Saturday night.
REACTION: Long-standing rivalries serve up emotion to savour
Two second-half goals in five minutes from the lightning-quick attacker ensured Sydney turned Sky Blue after the season’s third Derby and moved his side into fourth on the ALM table.
Though able to tie things up once through Tomer Hemed’s 17th-minute strike, Tate Russell’s effort in the 75th was not enough to spark a Wanderers fightback; late appeals for a handball penalty were ignored and a series of chances denied.
Stuck in tenth, Wanderers will have a week to stew before they host Brisbane next Saturday.
Sydney face a short turnaround before a meeting with league-leaders Melbourne City on Wednesday.
Inverse to their slow start against Macarthur mid-week, Le Fondre’s spinning left-footed effort within 120 seconds had the hosts flying.
But the Wanderers would force parity 15 minutes later through Hemed’s sweetly taken volley following Milos Ninkovic’s failed attempt to clear a corner.
Both sides would have their chances to score as the half progressed but there was a level of inspiration lacking from either side’s attacks.
It took a moment of fortune in the 66th for the deadlock to finally be broken when a cross from Kosta Barbarouses ricocheted off Le Fondre and sweetly into the path of Buhagiar to fire home.
Class, not luck, then provided his second five minutes later when Paulo Retre advanced forward and laced a perfect ball through that Buhagiar collected before cutting back to lose his marker and fire home.
Moments after being introduced, Russel’s headed effort minutes later made it 3-2 but Wanderers were denied in their subsequent late push.
Rhyan Grant saw red as emotions bubbled over, but appeals for a handball penalty against Sydney defender James Donachie went begging.
RE-LIVE: SYDNEY FC 3-2 WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS, AS IT HAPPENED
By Matt Comito for KEEPUP
90′: RED CARD! Grant sent off in milestone match (3-2)
That’s not how Rhyan Grant expected his record-breaking night to end.
His 268th appearance in Sky Blue breaks the club’s all-time record, with the full-back eclipsing Alex Brosqueon in the all-time standings.
But leaving a late foot in on Western Sydney’s Thomas Aquilina in the 90th minute of play saw Alireza Faghani produce the red card, and reduce the Sky Blues to ten men in stoppage time.
85′: NO PENALTY! (3-2)
The Wanderers have seen their shouts for a penalty waved away after a Tomislav Mrcela pass into the box brushed the arm of Sky Blues defender James Donachie.
75′: Russell makes it interesting (3-2)
One of four players involved in a Wanderers triple-sub, Tate Russell has halved the deficit with his first touch of the game.
Sydney FC looked home after Buhagiar’s second, but with 15 minutes to play the door has opened wide for the Wanderers to make a claim for a share of the points.
71′: GOAL! Buhagiar at the double (3-1)
The Sky Blues are running away with it at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.
It was Buhagiar adding the third goal, securing his brace in a five-minute spell, breaking the Wanderers’ defensive line, chopping past Phillip Cancar to rattle the back of the net with his left foot.
66′: GOAL! Barbarouses to Buhagiar as Sky Blues regain the lead (2-1)
The hosts have restored the advantage through Trent Buhagiar, who tucks home a low cross from the right-hand side of the box past Wanderers keeper Daniel Margush to make it 2-1.
46′: Play resumes in second half (0-0)
It’s all tied up as the second half begins at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.
HALF-TIME: SYDNEY FC 1-1 WESTERN SYDNEY
17′: GOAL! Hemed pounces (1-1)
Tomer Hemed has found the equaliser for the Wanderers with an opportunistic strike on the volley from a corner routine.
The Sky Blues failed to clear the danger, with Miloš Ninković heading the ball back toward his own goal where Hemed arrived to sweep the ball home.
2′: GOAL! Lightning start for Sydney FC (1-0)
Adam Le Fondre has opened the scoring with just two minutes on the clock as the Sky Blues roar into life at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.
Receiving the ball to feet in the box, Le Fondre took one touch, turned to face goal and struck to find the bottom-right corner of Western Sydney’s goal.
1′: KICK-OFF (0-0)
We’re off and running in the Sydney Derby!
