The Wanderers winning streak has come to an end but the 0-0 draw with Brisbane Roar at Bankwest Stadium today sees them maintain their unbeaten start to the season and go back to the top of the Hyundai A-League table.
Wanderers goalkeeper Daniel Lopar produced yet another magnificent display making a string of saves in both halves as the visitors made it tough for the home side.
The Red & Black were not at their best, but once again they were prepared to roll up their sleeves and work hard, displaying the hard work ethic and determination that has characterized their opening month of the season.
Wanderers head coach Markus Babbel made one change to the starting line-up that beat Sydney FC 1-0 last week with Kosta Grozos coming in for the injured Nick Sullivan.
The home side took a little while to warm into the game as the Roar looked solid in the early stages, creating the first chance after three minutes.
Western Sydney suffered a real blow when classy midfielder Pirmin Schwegler was forced off with an injury and replaced by Tas Mourdoukoutas, who slotted into the defensive midfield role.
The visitors created another chance that was well saved by Lopar before the Wanderers started to find their stride, causing problems for the Roar defence.
Daniel Georgievski was always looking to get involved in the action and it almost paid off on 31 minutes when he fired a powerful first time effort that was superbly tipped over the bar by goalkeeper Maxime Crocombe.
Captain Mitchell Duke was again getting through a mountain of work and he created a chance just two minutes later when he sent a ball across the face of goal. But, no-one could get on to the end of it.
At the other end, Lopar was again alert when he made a superb save to deny James O’Shea. The ball then fell to a Brisbane attacker but Mourdoukoutas was there to block his close-range effort.
The Red & Black had a great chance to open the scoring in the 39th minute when Kwame Yeboah had his shot, with an empty net beckoning, blocked by a defender.
The two sides went into the break at 0-0.
It was the visitors who started the second half the stronger forcing Alex Meier to make a headed clearance off the line from a corner from a Gillesphy effort. The ball fell to O’Shea whose first-time effort was superbly saved by Lopar diving to his left.
The Wanderers made their second change on the hour with newly arrived German import Nicolai Muller coming on for his A-League debut replacing Grozos.
Baccus brought the home crowd to their feet with a first-time effort from just outside the box on 68 minutes but his effort flashed just wide of the left post.
Lopar was at it again in the 80th minute going full stretch to his left to turn away a shot with his outstretched right hand.
Injuries were starting to take a toll on the home side with Matt Jurman, who had been injured on 70 minutes, battling on for 10 minutes before being replaced by Patrick Ziegler. It was the German’s first appearance in the A-League since a round 12 game on January 8.
The Double M’s almost combined to break the deadlock in injury time when Muller provided a lovely cross for Meier, whose first-time effort was hit straight at the goalkeeper.
