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Juric double delivers deserved win

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Tomi Juric scored twice as the NRMA Insurance Western Sydney Wanderers came from behind to beat Adelaide United 2-1 at Pirtek Stadium in the Hyundai A-League on Friday night.

Tomi Juric scored twice as the NRMA Insurance Western Sydney Wanderers came from behind to beat Adelaide United 2-1 at Pirtek Stadium in the Hyundai A-League on Friday night.

Adelaide looked on track for an unlikely win when Marcelo Carrusca poked home against the run of play nine minutes into the second half but Juric, who spent the second half of last season at Adelaide, turned the game around with two wonderful goals much to the delight of the 16,279 fans at Wanderland.

The young striker did it all himself to draw the sides level on the hour, beating Eugene Galekovic with a bullet strike from just outside the area after cutting in from the left.

Then with 10 minutes left the United defence switched off at a throw-in on the right, allowing Jerome Polenz to get a cross in with Juric shrugging off Tarek Elrich to head home the winner in front of the RBB.

It was a just reward for the home side who, despite giving up most of the possession to the Reds, still managed to create the majority of scoring chances.

After starting the season with back-to-back draws the Wanderers have now claimed two straight wins and are temporarily on top of the league with the rest of the round’s matches to be played over the weekend.

Head Coach Tony Popovic believed that it was deserved win.

“We dominated in every area and in every department,” said Popovic.

He also praised the mentality of the squad to come from behind despite conceding an unlikely goal.

“Going behind the players could easily crumble under the pressure of expectation but they came back and I-m very happy for them.”

The home side were unlucky not be ahead inside the first minute with only a smart save from Galekovic down low to his right keeping out Nikolai Topor-Stanley’s goal-bound header.

Midway through the half, the Red and Black then squandered a glorious double-chance to break the deadlock.

First Juric stung the palms of Galekovic with a dipping shot from just outside the box before the rebound fell to Brendon Santalab but his sweetly-hit volley narrowly went wide of the far post.

Former Wanderers defender Elrich was lucky not to be sent off soon after when he cynically fouled Mark Bridge just minutes after picking up a yellow card for dissent.

The visitors’ good fortune continued soon after when Iacopo La Rocca looked certain to score from Shinji Ono’s cross only to find the side-netting from close range.

Adelaide-s goal nine minutes into the second half looked to change the game but it took just six minutes for the home side to draw level.

The Wanderers broke downfield with Juric cutting in from the left and hitting a rasping low drive from just outside the box which stunned Galekovic as it nestled in the bottom corner of the net.

With the huge home support behind them the Wanderers pushed hard for a winner but Mooy, Tahj Minniecon and Ono all squandered good chances in the space of a few minutes.

Their pressure eventually told as Juric was on hand to head home Polenz’s cross to give the Wanderers their first win on their home turf this season.

For full match details please visit wswanderersfc.com.au (Wanderers Match Centre)

The NRMA Insurance Western Sydney Wanderers play Melbourne Heart on Friday 8 November at AAMI Park kicking-off at 7:30pm.