An injury time winner from Jake McGing ensured Western Sydney finished their maiden National Youth League campaign with a win.
An injury time winner from Jake McGing ensured Western Sydney Wanderers concluded their maiden National Youth League campaign in winning fashion with a 2-1 home victory over Perth Glory at Cook Park.
The last-gasp win lifted the Wanderers past Adelaide United and level with fifth-placed Glory and Melbourne Heart, though trailing the pair on goal difference.
The visiting Glory seemed set to take a share of the spoils thanks to Slobodan Vulin’s goal nine minutes from time – which had cancelled out Labinot Haliti’s strike just prior to the interval – until McGing’s late intervention.
Wanderers’ coach Trevor Morgan was able to field a strong side featuring overage players Rocky Visconte, Jason Trifiro, goalkeeper Jerrad Tyson, plus well-travelled striker Haliti.
The visiting Glory, who went into the match with three wins on the trot, including an impressive triumph over competition frontrunners Central Coast Mariners, lined-up with Evan Berger, Ryo Nagai and Adrian Zahra among their overage contingent.
Hefty rainfall in Sydney over the preceding days ensured a reasonably heavy pitch which, combined with high humidity, ensured both sides were tested physically throughout the 90 minutes.
Goalscoring opportunities were largely at a premium until Haliti broke the deadlock four minutes before half-time with a neat finish past Lewis Italiano, having benefitted from a smart Visconte pass.
The flow of the contest was disrupted partly with a string of substitutions around the hour mark, as well as some growing humidity as midday approached.
The Glory, however, drew level in the latter stages as substitute Vulin gave Tyson no chance with a sweet strike into the top left corner.
But Westfields High School product McGing cruelly denied the visitors from the west with a close-range poacher’s goal two minutes into injury time.
Western Sydney Wanderers 2 (Labinot Haliti 41′, Jake McGing 92′)
Perth Glory 1 (Slobodan Vulin 81′)
Western Sydney Wanderers: 1. Jerrad Tyson, 2. Brian Jamba, 3. Stepjan Paric, 4. James Baldacchino , 5. Reece Caira, 6. Jake McGing, 7. Rocky Visconte (14. Jacob Williams 59′), 8. Yianni Perkatis, 9. Labinot Haliti (12. Mark Cindric 59′), 10. Jason Trifiro, 11. Nicholas Olsen (13. Zakeriya Elrich 59′)
Perth Glory: 1. Lewis Italiano, 2. Matthew Davies, 3. Ryan Lowry, 4. Jack Clisby, 5. Storm Roux, 6. Brandon O-Neill, 7. Adrian Zahra (14. Borbor Sam 52′), 8. Jacob Collard (12. Slobodan Vulin 59′), 9. Ndumba Makeche, 10. Ryo Nagai, 11. Evan Berger (13. Moses Kalou 59′)
