HIGH FIVE HAS UNITED IN TOP 6 FR AME
WESTERN United survived a Western Sydney comeback to strengthen its claims for a finals berth with a 5-3 win over the Wanderers at Jubilee Stadium on Friday night.
The game seemed as good as over by the 52nd minute when a sublime piece of skill by Italian import Alessandro Diamanti extended United’s lead to 3-0 after goals from Josh Risdon and Besart Berisha.
But Wanderers finally sprang to life.
Two goals to inspirational skipper Mitch Duke and a cheeky back-heel from substitute Tass Mourdoukoutas had the scores level at 3-3 in the 82nd minute.
But United responded with goals through Max Burgess and the mercurial Diamanti, who chipped Wanderers goalkeeper Tristan Prendergast to seal the three points.
The Wanderers’ loss ended their faint hopes of finishing in the top six.
However, United is now poised in seventh, two points adrift of sixth-placed Adelaide and having two games in hand on the South Australians.
It was a deserved win, with United taking control early, with only the crossbar denying midfielder Steve Lustica a goal against his former club in the fifth minute.
Instead, it was another exWanderer in Risdon, who gave United the lead two minutes later when he headed home a Burgess cross.
The impressive Burgess had his own chance soon after, but his shot was well saved by Prendergast.
But the keeper could do little in the 19th minute as United doubled its lead through Berisha. Making the most of a clever build-up involving Diamanti and Risdon, Berisha guided the ball home from close range to score his 15th goal of the season. The woodwork again saved the shell-shocked Wanderers in the 35th minute, when Western Sydney defender Patrick Ziegler came so close to turning the ball into his own net only for the post to intervene.
The Wanderers finally showed some attacking intent late in the first half but were foiled by United keeper Filip Kurto in the 43rd minute when the Polish gloveman stood tall to deny Kwame Yeboah.
But order seemed restored seven minutes after halftime via the brilliance of Diamanti, who after a short corner drove into the penalty area before dinking the ball over Prendergast, who put a hand to the shot but could not stop it finding the back of the net.
However, the Wanderers were not ready to lie down, with Duke finding the back of the net in the 69th minute.
Mourdoukoutas scored with a back-heel in the 76th minute to further reduce
United’s lead, and when Duke scored again in the 82nd minute to make it 3-3, it was the Wanderers who had the momentum.
But Mourdoukoutas lost possession soon after to gift Burgess United’s fourth goal before Diamanti fittingly provided the icing on the cake in the 87th minute with a contender for goal of the season.