Western Sydney Wanderers secured a commanding 4-0 victory over the struggling Central Coast Mariners on Saturday afternoon, propelling them firmly back within the top six of the A-League Men standings. This decisive win not only extended the Wanderers' unbeaten run to four matches but also deepened the troubles for the reigning champions, who find themselves entrenched in the lower half of the table.
The Wanderers were fast out of the blocks, taking the lead just six minutes in through Zac Sapsford. A goal-kick from Anthony Pantazopoulos saw Mariners goalkeeper Adam Pavlesic misjudge the ball, sending it back over his head and allowing Sapsford to pounce and tap it home. It was, to put it mildly, an unfortunate blunder by Pavlesic.
Things quickly escalated for the Mariners when seven minutes later, the Wanderers doubled their lead. Jack Clisby showcased some strong link-up play, working the ball from Sapsford before finding the net by firing low past the hapless Pavlesic. Despite the Mariners attempting to respond, including Lucas Mauragus hitting the woodwork, the Wanderers showed no signs of slowing down.
After taking control of the momentum, Western Sydney went on to add another - and in quite dramatic fashion – through Nicolas Milanovic. Less than a minute after Alou Kuol had seen his header ruled out for foul play, Milanovic’s shot found the net after taking one of his own teammate’s deflections right before the halftime whistle.
Within just 39 minutes of play, the match appeared all but settled. For the Mariners, their plight continued to thicken as they ended the half 3-0 down, and it was evident they were running out of time to salvage their championship aspirations, sitting languidly at 10th place with only 21 points.
The second half saw the Wanderers extend their lead when Marcus Antonsson was brought down in the box by Pavlesic, resulting in a penalty. Although the Swedish forward's initial attempt was saved, the VAR intervened, indicating Pavlesic had come off his line early, leading to the penalty being retaken. Antonsson made no mistake this time, slotting the ball home and wrapping up the 4-0 scoreline.
Despite the commanding scoreline, the match was not without controversy. Just before the half-hour mark, Wanderers coach Alen Stajcic was infuriated by the referee's decision not to award what he deemed as a clear penalty. Bozhidar Kraev was clipped by Mariners defender Brian Kaltak, but referee Adam Kersey opted to dismiss the appeals. After the match, Stajcic referred to the incident as "the clearest penalty we’ve had all season," highlighting his frustration with the officiation.
A-Leagues commentator Andy Harper echoed Stajcic's sentiments, describing the VAR’s decision not to send the referee to the pitch-side monitor as "unfathomable." Harper argued vehemently, "What I find unfathomable is totally and utterly unfathomable is the guys in the box don’t say: ‘Hey ref, just come and check.’" His criticism underscored the feeling among Wanderers supporters on the validity of missing such a clear foul.
This dramatic encounter put the Central Coast Mariners’ championship ambitions in serious jeopardy. With eight games remaining, they sit five points behind the sixth-placed Western United and seven points off the Wanderers, who currently hold third place on the league ladder.
Reflecting on the match, it underscored not only the struggles of the Mariners, who were hunting their third consecutive title but also the revitalizing performance of the Wanderers. Striker Zac Sapsford continued his strong form, netting his seventh goal of the season, placing him among the contenders for the golden boot.
Looking forward, the Mariners face Western United next Friday, desperately hoping to turn their fortunes around. Conversely, the Wanderers will look to maintain this momentum when they take on Perth Glory at home on Sunday.