Western Sydney Wanderers brought an end to Melbourne City’s six-game unbeaten league run on Friday night, with Dylan Pierias’ first-half strike the difference in a 1-0 win at CommBank Stadium.
Pierias broke the deadlock after a classy assist from 18-year-old Alexander Badolato on a night when emerging defender Alex Bonetig and 20-year-old Oscar Priestman were all heavily involved in Western Sydney’s best play.
The Wanderers avoided a major scare in second-half stoppage time when referee Jonathan Barreiro halted play to assess a potential handball in the box from Josh Brillante; the on-field referee elected not to grant the penalty after reviewing the incident on the pitch-side monitor as City were deprived the chance to equalise from the spot.
City will take positives from their Unite Round clash with the Wanderers, with the return of Andrew Nabbout just four months after an Achilles tendon injury putting a silver lining on the slender defeat.
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The Wanderers had the ball in the back of the net inside three minutes through Marcus Antonsson, but the early strike was eventually wiped off the scoresheet after a four-minute VAR investigation.
At first it appeared the check was to determine whether Nicolas Milanovic had kept the ball in the field of play before providing the cutback assist for Antonsson – but further analysis found a clear handball from Wanderers full-back Jack Clisby in midfield prior to the attacking move.
Referee Barreiro returned to the field of play after reviewing the incident to confirm Western Sydney’s opener would not stand.
Milanovic was quick to threaten once more for the Wanderers, angling a header on target from corner which City keeper Jamie Young had no trouble gathering with a comfortable save.
Antonsson was gifted another opportunity when Scott Galloway coughed up possession deep in his defensive third, but the Swedish striker couldn’t beat Young as he attempted to find the bottom-left corner.
The Wanderers were hammering at the door and eventually broke through, with Dylan Pierias tucking home a sumptuous assist from Alexander Badolato.
The 18-year-old burst toward the edge of the penalty area and while dribbling to the right, fed a no-look reverse pass to his left, picking out Pierias through a sea of bodies to set up a stylish Wanderers opener.
Friday night’s Unite Round clash was just the third start of Badolato’s career – and all three of those starts have come in succession for the bright Wanderers talent who produced a moment of magic to help his side take a first-half lead against City.
Pierias almost turned provider with a searching cross off the right flank which fell invitingly for Antonsson to poke on target; Young made a reflex save with his feet but diverted the ball back toward the penalty spot where Oscar Priestman lurked unmarked, only to blast over the bar.
City had a penalty claim waved away when Tolgay Arslan went down in the box under contact from Alex Bonetig; Wanderers captain Marcelo believed Arslan had gone down too easily, and remonstrated with the City midfielder before play resumed without the award of a penalty.
Early in the second half, Priestman stung the gloves of Young as the Wanderers quickly looked to gain the ascendancy – but City responded well to turn the contest into an arm wrestle by the half-hour mark.
Antonsson had another chance for the Wanderers but couldn’t give his side breathing room as he struck off target from close range and a tight angle.
Then came a special moment for City winger Andrew Nabbout, who came off the bench for his first appearance of the season just four months after rupturing his Achilles tendon.
The injury, suffered in a September friendly, could have been season-ending for Nabbout – but the fringe Socceroo has a history of recovering from serious injuries with remarkable speed. Within minutes of coming on Nabbout had a chance on goal with his first touch, firing wide off his left foot before the offside flag was raised.
Young City striker Max Caputo replaced Jamie Maclaren in the second half and the teenager had a chance to equalise, as he latched onto an early cross from Callum Talbot but headed over the crossbar.
A late moment of drama presented when referee Barreiro assessed a potential handball from Wanderers midfielder Josh Brillante; it was the second extensive VAR check of the night, but this one went against City as play resumed at CommBank Stadium. The final whistle blew soon after to confirm Western Sydney’s 1-0 win over the Premiers.
The moment
An Achilles injury suffered in a pre-season friendly threatened to sideline Andrew Nabbout for the 2023-24 Isuzu UTE A-League season – but the Melbourne City winger completed a remarkable comeback with a bench cameo in his side’s 1-0 loss to the Wanderers on Friday night.
Nabbout has a penchant for remarkable recoveries; in 2018 he suffered a shoulder injury while playing for the Socceroos at the World Cup, and after surgery was given an estimated six-month stint on the sidelines, but returned to club football just four months later.
In 2021, he suffered a tear to his adductor tendon in his left thigh and was given a 12-14 week timeframe for recovery but was back just one month later, in time to feature in City’s Grand Final triumph over Sydney FC.
After his most recent comeback, Nabbout was asked by Paramount+ pitchside reporter Daniel Garb exactly how he managed to fast-track his return.
“Lots of hours in the gym,” Nabbout replied.
“I’ve spent my whole career doing all the right things. I know my body inside and out, I know what I need to do to get back. I’ve done it my whole career – and this is no different.”
“There’s nothing better than being out here with this team,” he added. “I was supposed to be out for the whole season and any games and any minutes I can spend in this shirt is a blessing and a bonus.
“I’m ecstatic to be back with the team, it would have been nicer to get something out of the game but nonetheless it’s good to be back.”
The star
This title is reserved not for one player, but a string of young Wanderers who stood tall against the Premiers and earned high praise from head coach Marko Rudan in the aftermath of the 1-0 win.
Dylan Pierias, 23, scored the match-winning goal off Badolato’s inventive assist; at just 18 years of age, Badolato is relishing an extended run in the lineup and repaid Rudan for his faith in his third consecutive start.
Oscar Priestman, 20, missed chances but was otherwise bright and found himself in all the right areas for a player looking to make his mark in a midfield role, while Alex Bonetig, 21, helped captain Marcelo keep Jamie Maclaren under lock and key in a clean sheet display.
Young full-back Aidan Simmons was also singled out for praise as the youngsters shone in a big win for the Wanderers.
“The young ones, I’ve got to give a special mention the them,” Rudan told Paramount+ post-game.
“Simmons, Bonetig, Oscar Priestman and young Badolato, to come up against a team like this with that many, it’s a credit to them. They just keep building, and wanting to get better and better.”
Pierias played under Rudan at Western United before joining him in Wanderland and spoke glowingly of the “intense” environment at the club that he believes is encouraging young players to improve.
“I had him at Western United four years ago,” Pierias said. “Yeah, the environment is intense which is what he wants. He has high standards, he has healthy competition and every player is different.
“For me, that’s what drives me when I see the other boys pushing every day, you can see he chops and changes, he’s going to put however who is going to do the job. I like that environment, it keeps me on my toes.”
