“The chaos league is alive and well,” Network 10 commentator Teo Pellizzeri said as the full-time whistle blew at ServiceFM Stadium.
Amid a shell-shocked Adelaide United crowd, Western United were celebrating a win. But this was no ordinary win – a pair of goals in stoppage time lifting the Liberty A-League newcomers to a 2-1 victory on Sunday afternoon.
Start-up club Western emerged from the jaws of defeat to not only stun Adelaide in their top-of-the-table clash but move top of the standings with a third consecutive win thanks to Emma Robers’ brilliant long-range strike in the seventh minute of stoppage time.
Sydney Cummings had cancelled out Chelsie Dawber’s opener in the 91st minute as high-flying Western maintained their perfect start from three rounds.
At the end of the match, Pellizzeri said: “This is what the Liberty A-League is all about!”
“Adelaide won’t believe what’s hit them,” he added.
Co-commentator and former Western Sydney Wanderers head coach Catherine Cannuli praised Western’s resolve and response away from home.
“It’s great to see them get a win. Coming from 1-0 down, it was important they stuck together,” she said.
“Even in the toughest of times, they got that win from those two goals. They went hard.
“Once they got that equaliser, they didn’t take their foot off the pedal. They kept going.”
There were distressing scenes in the first half when Western’s Stacey Papadopoulos was stretchered off the field and taken to hospital.
Paramedics and medical staff rushed to attend to Papadopoulos, who landed heavily on the ground, with her head taking a massive blow, before appearing to convulse on the pitch.
“We hope it’s good news,” Pellizzeri said. “You think back to the first half, subbed off injured. I’m sure if she is okay and maybe even watching, our thoughts are with you.
“We hope this result has warmed your heart.”
‘These girls have an unbelievable belief’ – Torcaso
Western head coach Mark Torcaso was full of praise for the league leaders after their smash-and-grab job in South Australia.
Torcaso admitted he was stunned after “pinching” the win against the Reds.
“These girls just have an unbelievable belief to want to beat anyone who comes in front of them,” he said.
“We literally shifted a couple things, brought one or two other players on who could affect the game in certain areas and then literally threw it all there and see what happens and pinched it.”
Reds coach Adrian Stenta was disappointed in the manner in which his side coughed up the points.
“It’s disappointing to drop points at home, any points, but to lose in the way that we did was very disappointing,” he said.
