The NRMA Insurance Western Sydney Wanderers became only the third team in the history of the Hyundai A-League to win seven matches in a row when they beat a resilient and resurgent Perth Glory 1-0 at Parramatta Stadium.
The NRMA Insurance Western Sydney Wanderers became only the third team in the history of the Hyundai A-League to win seven matches in a row when they beat a resilient and resurgent Perth Glory 1-0 at Parramatta Stadium.
Midfielder Aaron Mooy-s first ever goal for the Wanderers was a fitting reward for the club-s huge contingent of supporters, the most organized and dedicated bunch in the entire league.
The 11,772 who braved atrocious western Sydney weather sounded more like 20,000 and turned the occasion into a non-stop musical and vocal carnival.
The win confirms the Wanderers as the fairytale story of Australian sport and sees them guaranteed a spot in the finals.
The newest team in any code was miraculously alone at the top of the table – at least for a couple of hours.
The win sets up the match of the 2012/13 season next week against the Central Coast Mariners away and will be first against second no matter what the result in the Mariners v Victory game ends up on Saturday night.
Wanderers coach Tony Popovic said he was satisfied with the hard fought win against a physical and determined Glory who threw everything at the men in red and black.
“They are the important ones to win when things are not quite going your way,” Popovic said.
“We were not as fluent in possession of the ball and when we did find that we had some great passages of play.
“But we persisted and tried to play the way we can and in the end it was a deflection but it was good lead up play to get to that goal.”
No team in the A-League has won seven in a row since Victory won eight in a row late in 2006.
Popovic was full of praise for the supporters who he said would relish the away trip up the F3 next week.
“I have to mention the fans again because when you come out in these numbers when last night we knew what the weather would be like and everyone in Sydney knew what the weather would be like this morning and to get these numbers out here tonight is unique and something special that we are building here and they play a big part,” Popovic said,
“I am really pleased that they will go home wet and they will go home happy.”
Despite the slippery conditions, the Wanderers came out on the front foot looking to attack.
The wind and rain were no deterrent, linking up and creating some dangerous passages of plays early on in the match.
Some skillful footwork from Iacopo La Rocca in the seventh minute set-up an opportunity for Joey Gibbs, who took a shot from the edge of the box but ended up straight in the arms of Perth goal keeper Danny Vukovic.
The wet surface played havoc with both teams giving away plenty of free kicks for dangerous challenges.
Mooy and Shinji Ono took full advantage, threatening the Perth goal with some cracking shots.
The best opportunity via a free kick came in the 32nd minute, when a curling Mooy shot connected with Nikolai Topor-Stanley whose header was just off target.
After a quiet spell of play, the Wanderers looked to attack again just before the half-time whistle.
In the 43rd minute, Mark Bridge tried his luck with his right boot when he let rip a long range shot.
Although it looked to trouble Vukovic, he was eventually able to control the shot.
The Wanderers went in to the sheds at half-time unlucky not to have capitalised on the scoreboard after controlling the possession and creating the most opportunities.
The Wanderers earned their just reward in the 57th minute when Mooy and Bridge linked up in a one-two which allowed Mooy to take the shot from inside the box.
The shot was deflected off the leg of Michael Thwaite but found the back of the net anyway.
In the 67th minute, the Wanderers almost put another score on the board when Mooy once again capitilised on a free kick, sending it long and deep to the goal line but it wasn-t able to find Topor-Stanley near the goal post.
Perth waited until the 81st minute for their best chance on goal, when a deflected shot from Nick Ward surprised Ryo Nagai whose makeshift shot sailed over Ante Covic-s cross bar.
