Two goals to midfielder Kwabena Appiah have given Western Sydney Wanderers a season double over Central Coast Mariners in the Foxtel National Youth League.
Two goals to midfielder Kwabena Appiah, including an 89th minute winner, have given Western Sydney Wanderers a season double over Central Coast Mariners in the Foxtel National Youth League after a 3-2 win at Tuggerah on Sunday afternoon.
Appiah, a member of the starting XI in the Wanderers Hyundai A-League grand final loss to the Mariners in April last year, showed his class as Western Sydney added to the side’s 3-0 victory over Central Coast from round seven.
Both sides cancelled each other out in the first half with goals to New Zealand-born Appiah and Mariner Patrick Dixon before Dejan Pandurevic put the home side ahead prior to Olsen-s 65th minute equaliser.
Appiah-s winner was well deserved as he dominated proceedings.
Out of favour defender Marcel Seip featured as one of three overage players for the Mariners who also gave match time to shot-stopper Justin Pasfield and Brent Griffiths.
It was the worst possible start for two of the Mariners Hyundai A-League squad players looking to impress head coach Phil Moss when Appiah scored after six minutes.
A mix-up at the back between Dutchman Seip and Pasfield saw Appiah swoop on an errant back-pass which the former North Queensland Fury keeper failed to clear to open the scoring after six minutes.
Western Sydney winger Appiah continued to cause problems for Patrick Zwaanswijk-s team as did team-mate Mark Cindric.
Mariners leveled proceedings in the 35th minute after Tasmanian Jesse Curran lobbed a ball in from the right hand side for Dixon to head home.
The start of the second half saw the Mariners hit the lead through Pandurevic as the former Manly player finished calmly.
As both sides rung the changes the game continued to go from end to end.
It was 21 year-old Appiah to the fore again for Trevor Morgan-s men as the livewire set-up the play for Olsen to bundle the ball home from close range to level the scores after 65 minutes.
Appiah poached the winner after substitute Lawrence Hanna-s corner wasn-t cleared by the Mariners.
Western Sydney Wanderers Youth 3 (Appiah 6, 89, Olsen 65)
Central Coast Mariners Youth 2 (Dixon 35, Pandurevic 47)
Central Coast Mariners: 1. Justin Pasfield, 4. Marcel Seip, 6. Brent Griffiths 7. Tom Slater (2.Jacob Esposito 46), 8. Nathan Verity, 9.Patrick Dixon (14. Steve Whyte 59), 10. Dominic Ferguson (16. Daniel McFarlane 46), 11. Josh Bingham (C) (9. Patrick Dixon 87),13. Hayden Morton, 15. Jesse Curran, 17. Dejan Pandurevic
Western Sydney Wanderers: 1 Thomas Manos (GK), 2. Shayne D-Cunha, 3. Anthony Schmidt, 4. James Baldacchino (13 Brendan Hooper 48), 5. Sean Symons (11. Joshua Da Silva 57 ), 6. Yianni Perkatis, 7. Nicholas Olsen, 8. Jake McGing (C), 9. Mark Cindric, 10. Joshua Barresi (15. Lawrence Hanna 57), 14 Kwabena Appiah
