Western Sydney will be chasing their best stretch of results of the season when they travel to Queensland to play Brisbane Roar for the third and last time in the Hyundai A-League regular season.
Unbeaten in their past four games, the Wanderers are the League’s most in-form team at the moment having secured 10 points from a possible 12 since Jean-Paul de Marigny was installed as interim head coach late in January.
Off the back of that run, the Red & Black are now within touching distance of the top six and only six points off a spot in the top four.
Significantly, they are just two points behind sixth-placed Roar and three astern of fifth-placed Adelaide United and have played one game less than those two clubs above them.
It is the best run of results the club has had since they garnered three wins and a draw in their opening four games of the season.
Understandably, confidence and belief are extremely high and that was never more evident than last week when the Wanderers stunned Sydney FC with a 1-0 win on their arch rival’s own turf – their second Sydney Derby success of the season.
Under de Marigny’s watchful eye, the Red & Black are a completely different side now to the one that struggled for traction mid-season.
With captain Mitchell Duke leading the way, the attack is potent and taking advantage of the creativity in the midfield as seen by the fact they have produced 10 goals in their past four games.
The defence is almost rock-like, having conceded just four of late. Keeping the much-vaunted Sydney FC attack goalless at home last week was no mean feat.
Still, the Red & Black will face a formidable task against a Brisbane Roar side that has improved leaps and bounds under coach Robbie Fowler.
The Queenslanders have won five, suffered just two losses and drawn three of their past 10 games.
Contests between the two sides have been hard-fought this season with the two sides sharing the spoils in a 0-0 draw back in November before the Roar won 2-1 in a Round 13 game on New Year’s Day.
The Wanderers will be hoping to maintain their exciting revival going into the next two vital games against Melbourne City on 14 March and the third Sydney Derby at Bankwest Stadium on 21 March – games that could define their season.
