Western Sydney Wanderers 3-1 Western United
By Kieran Yap 23/3/24
Above: Western Sydney celebrates Sophie Harding’s goal. Photo: Western Sydney Wanderers.
The Western Sydney Wanderers climbed into fifth place on the ladder with a 3-1 win over Western United.
Sophie Harding was the difference with two goals and an accidental assist for The Wanderers, who won the crucial match despite going a goal down. The loss was a costly one for Western United. In addition to premiership hopes, they also lost Hannah Keane to a bad looking injury. Last season’s leading scorer was stretchered off late in the evening.
The stakes were high coming into this match. A win for Western United would have seen them momentarily regain top spot on the ladder, and things started off brightly for the visitors. Keane scored after a goalmouth scramble to give them the lead 17 minutes in.
Ella Buchanan levelled the scores for the Wanderers before half time. Cushla Rue drove into the box and her cross found Harding. The shot was scuffed but fell to Buchanan to tap in from what looked at first like an offside position. Replays confirmed that Alana Cerne was judged to have played her onside.
Harding continued to threaten and early in the second half, she sent a warning of what was to come. Her bullet-like header did not result in a goal, but The Wanderers had started the stronger of the two teams after the break.
On the hour mark, Harding put her side into the lead with a terrific individual effort. The Wanderers number nine collected the ball deep in midfield and started a sweeping counter attack. She finished the move herself after controlling the eventual cross beautifully and finishing cooly off her non-preferred left foot.
Harding then turned supplier with a mazy run and well-timed pass, but Rue’s shot skimmed wide of the far post. Western United were on the back foot, despite having the majority of possession. They were controlling the game, but Western Sydney’s counterattack was deciding the result.
Harding sealed the match with her second and another trademark goal. She accelerated beyond the Western United defence and struck a low shot to make it 3-1 in the 82nd minute.
Things had gone from bad to worse for Western United with Keane going off on a stretcher minutes before. the game was halted for a significant amount of time while she received treatment. No prognosis was available at the time of writing, but it no Wanderer had impacted her when she went down, and everybody on the field looked troubled by the injury.
Keane’s injury adds her to a list already containing Chloe Logarzo and Adriana Taranto. Three players who are among the first added to the team sheet each week, and all three who are vital to their success this season.
Kat Smith can turn to Catherine Zimmerman, and Kahli Johnson for the remainder of the campaign, but both are still working their way back to full fitness after injuries themselves. Johnson sent a reminder of what she can do with an excellent effort late in the game that crashed away off the upright.
Other options include moving Maher into midfield and Julia Sardo into defence, but that would disrupt one area to help another. Western will play finals, but back luck has hit them at the worst possible time just as things were clicking into place perfectly for last season’s runners-up.
In the immediate term, all anybody can do is wish Hannah Keane all the best in her recovery, and hope that the injury was not as severe as it first looked. She has been a star of the league since joining the club and will hopefully be back soon.
The day belonged to Western United. Even without the in-form Holly Caspers, their game plan did not need to change noticeably. They counterattack excellently and thrive without the ball.
They do not attack at every opportunity. If they win the ball in the right areas, they surge immediately, but if not, they keep their shape and move it slowly. It is a safety first approach that is achieving results along with highly entertaining football at times.
Most promisingly, The Wanderers game plan works brilliantly against many of the top sides. They picked apart Western United, just as they did Melbourne City and Victory. The 2-0 loss to Sydney FC has the caveat of the rescinded red card for Vicky Bruce, and they have won games convincingly without Harding on one occasion and Caspers on another.
This is a strong team with good depth and a game plan that works against good opposition.
Lineups:
Western Sydney Wanderers 4-4-2: Khamis, Apostolakis, Harrison, Bruce, McComansky, Matos, Chessari, Price, Buchanan, Morris, Harding. Substitutes: Caceras, Rue, Younis, Abdul-Massih, Collins.
Scorers: Buchanan 39’ Harding 61’ 82’
Western United 3-1-4-2: Dall’Oste, Papadopoulos, Cerne, Maher, M Taranto, Medwin, Vlajnic, Sawicki, Prakash, Zimmerman, Keane. Substitutes: Johnson, Robers, Larsen, Sardo, Hieda.
Scorers: Keane 17’
Referee: Casey Reibelt
Attendance: TBC
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