Serbian striker Aleksandar Prijovic scored twice and added an assist as Western United advanced to the A-League Men grand final with a 4-1 win over Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park.
United made the season decider in just their third season and ended Victory’s club-record 16-match unbeaten run with a 4-2 aggregate win in a pulsating match on Saturday.
Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, United twice hit the front as Prijovic capitalised on two wonderful crosses to score in each half.
Prijovic set up the decisive third goal in the 78th minute, as his delightful layoff fell to Lachie Wales, whose shot deflected off a Victory player into the net for the go-ahead goal.
The excellent Dylan Wenzel-Halls added the icing with a fourth in the ninth minute of added time.
Prior to the final goal of the game, Victory had a number of chances to level the tie and also had an unsuccessful penalty shout.
A Jake Brimmer free kick in the 82nd minute forced a good fingertip save from Jamie Young and Victory twice came close to scoring in the 88th and again in added time, with all three efforts coming from substitutes.
Francesco Margiotta hit the post, Chris Ikonomidis blazed a follow up shot from close range over the bar, and Brendan Hamill had a shot pushed away by Young.
Western scored with their first attempt on target in the 18th minute, with Prijovic’s far-post header rewarding a delightful cross from Connor Pain.
Victory midfielder Brimmer again put his side ahead on aggregate with a peach of a free kick in the 37th, the fourth straight game in which he has scored.
Young made a full stretch save to keep a powerful Josh Brillante shot out in the first minute of the second half.
Western briefly thought they were ahead again when Wenzel-Halls’s header hit the net just after halftime, only to be correctly ruled out for offside.
Three minutes later they did hit the lead through Prijovic’s fine sliding finish from an excellent Wenzel-Halls cross.
Victory ratcheted up the pressure after going behind for a second time, with Young making saves from Ben Folami, Marchan and Nick D’Agostino.
The home side were adamant they should have had had a penalty in the 42nd minute when Josh Risdon appeared to foul Rai Marchan.
Referee Alex King didn’t award a spot kick at the time and reaffirmed his decision after being called to the touchline by the VAR to view a replay of the incident.
RECAP: MELBOURNE VICTORY 1-4 WESTERN UNITED
By Matt Comito for KEEPUP
Two-legged aggregate score: Melbourne Victory 2-3 Western United
90+9′: GOAL! Wenzel-Halls (1-4; Agg. 2-4)
Incredible scenes at AAMI Park!
Wenzel-Halls tucks away a fourth for Western on the counter as Victory throw everything at getting an equaliser.
78′: GOAL! Wales (1-3; Agg. 2-3)
Western United go 3-1 ahead on the night, and 3-2 ahead on aggregate as Lachie Wales hits the back of the net.
Prijović controls off his chest and Wales strikes first time, benefiting from a deflection off the chest of Matthew Spiranovic to get Western up in the tie.
Western are just over 10 minutes away from a club-first Grand Final!
49′: GOAL! Prijović (1-2; Agg. 2-2)
It’s Prijović again – Western are ahead on the night, and level on aggregate!
The Serbian slides in to meet Wenzel-Halls’ cross off the right flank to score his second of the night.
HALF-TIME: VICTORY 1-1 WESTERN (Agg. 2-1)
Get your breath back. That was all action at AAMI Park!
Dylan Wenzel-Halls put the ball in the back of the net for Western in stoppage time only for the offside flag to rightly deny the visitors a second. The two sides head into the sheds level on the night, with Victory leading 2-1 on aggregate.
45+1′: SAVE! Young (1-1; Agg. 2-1)
A superb save from Young denies Josh Brillante from range and keeps Western within touching distance.
40′: Penalty claim denied (1-1; Agg. 2-1)
Roderick Miranda goes down under contact from Josh Risdon in the box; the former gets to the ball first and the latter wraps his left leg around Miranda’s standing foot.
The towering Victory defender falls to ground, and referee Alex King is beckoned over to the sideline monitor.
But King walks back out over the white line and waves the claims away as play continues at AAMI Park.
37′: GOAL! Brimmer (1-1; Agg. 2-1)
“Jamie Young can only stand, watch and admire – it’s a peach!” Exclaimed Network 10 commentator Simon Hill as Jake Brimmer hit the back of the net from a free-kick on the outskirts of the penalty area.
Yet another touch of class from the Victory creator – and his fourth goal in as many games for Victory.
18′: GOAL! Prijović (0-1; Agg. 1-1)
Connor Pain floats a cross off the left flank toward the back post, Aleksandar Prijović attacks it with vigour and his header hits the back of the net.
Western are up 1-0 on the night, and level on aggregate at 1-1!
13′: CHANCE! Brimmer (0-0)
Jake Brimer gallops through the middle of the park, nears the edge of the area then slides a through pass for Nick D’Agostino to attack. The Victory forward strikes directly into the path of goalkeeper Jamie Young.
1′: KICK-OFF (0-0)
We are underway in the second leg of this perfectly poised semi0final, with Western trailing Victory by one goal to nil as the action kicks off at AAMI Park.
