UNITED THEY FALL
Fairytale over for Western United as Melbourne City moves into grand final
WHAT soft underbelly?
Melbourne City shook off its reputation for big game meltdowns to surge into a maiden A-League grand final after a gruelling 2-0 semi-final win took a sledgehammer to Western United’s fairytale debut season.
Golden Boot winner Jamie Maclaren fired home the decisive second-half penalty to smash the game open, before a late own goal sealed the win on Wednesday to break United hearts.
City, who will face the winner of Sydney FC and Perth Glory in Sunday’s decider, was made to fight hard to hold off a spirited United, who impressed all in its eighth game in little over a month — but was unable find a way to convert its pressure into goals.
United manager Mark
Rudan was left to rue a 66th minute decision to award City a penalty after Maclaren went down under pressure from defender Aaron Calver.
What on first viewing appeared a 50-50 proposition was confirmed as a penalty moments later by VAR — making its debut in a COVID-19 world, having been recalled for the finals series — with replays confirming a kick to the calf of the goalscorer.
Maclaren made no mistake, smashing into the bottom left corner to give United goalkeeper Filip Kurto zero hope off pulling off a miracle save.
An own goal to United’s Tomoki Imai — under pressure from City’s Richard Windbichler — delivered the final blow, heading home from a threatening corner with five minutes to go to seal City’s path to the grand final.
United suffered a blow before the match with veteran defender Andrew Durante ruled out with injury, but as it has done throughout its outstanding post-shutdown run the league’s newcomer found a way.
It had been expected the fresher Melbourne City would run its opponents ragged but in the early stages of the second half it was the Western United team which had the ascendancy.