PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEKEND – WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS

FINALLY. With just their third win of the season, it was not only against a quality opposition, it’s their second clean sheet in as many weeks. They may have won at home, but they are yet to win three points at Sydney Olympic Park.

While some could put their stronger defence down to Vedran Janjetovic, he only had to face one shot this week, showing how strong the Wanderers have become recently. They held Sydney well last week but now they’re showing a change.

Lachlan Scott scored his first ever A-League goal and they took the game to Newcastle. The Jets have had a reasonably strong forward line this season but there was very little the Jets could do against the Wanderers this week.

Whilst their form has not been finals worthy, they are just two goals away from 6th spot and a place in the finals.

They certainly showed some strong form this week but they will face a big test against Brisbane in Queensland next week. A good result could see them go as high as 5th but a poor result could see them go down to 8th as the contest for mid-table spots heats up.

They will need to prove themselves against bigger opposition but it was a great victory nonetheless for the Wanderers who will carry confidence into the next round.

PLAYER OF THE WEEKEND – TIM CAHILL

He scored two beautiful goals and Timmy certainly made it a week to remember. He was strong in attack and was one of the leading men for City against the Mariners.

Following O’Donovan’s red card, City dominated the match and Timmy was the main man for the side. Whilst it may be poor form on the side that they could only find two goals from 26 shots all game, Cahill was on form.

His first goal was a beautifully worked set piece that saw him find the net easily with a simple side foot past Paul Izzo. To be shaking off a young defence at the age of 37 is pretty impressive but Cahill did it perfectly.

His second goal was textbook Cahill, rising above the defence with a header into the back of the net. A textbook goal was followed by a textbook celebration, punching the corner flag, free of cheeky ball boys.

He was the leading shot taker for City, working his way inside the box often and taking on the goal. He saw the result of some hard work and he has extended his goal tally for City nicely. It’s taken longer than some may have expected but Cahill can have our player of the week this week.

GOAL OF THE WEKEND – TIM CAHILL’S FIRST

Well, we’ve already talked a bit about it but this goal was special, purely because we don’t see much of it in the A-League.

A clinically rehearsed set piece can pay off but it seems for many A-League coaches, it is simply not a priority. City pulled off this one to perfection with Luke Brattan setting up Tim Cahill perfectly.

After making an error, Harry Ascroft took down Bruno Fornaroli just outside the box and that was all City needed to work this set piece. Nicolas Colazo seemed like the man to take it but as he ran over the ball, Cahill ran into space where Brattan’s pass found him perfectly.

The run by Cahill was perfect, the pass from Brattan accurate and the finish from Cahill, simple.

While we can’t be sure this was a thoroughly rehearsed set piece, the understanding between the players was incredible, each knowing what to do and where the ball was going to go.

It wasn’t spectacular, but it was a joy to watch over and over again, admiring the simplicity and cohesion shown by City.

Cahill may have had the final touch, but it was the work of the team and coach to pull this off that made it possible. A great goal.

FLOP OF THE WEEKEND – MELBOURNE VICTORY

We might chance flop of the weekend to flop of the week. They lost to both Wellington and Perth in the space of a week and gave Sydney an eight-point buffer at the top.

A trip to Wellington saw them deliver almost nothing of note and whilst Wellington were only able to score their final two goals in the last minutes of the match, the match was definitely not for Victory to win.

Travelling to Perth, it seemed that nothing went their way. Two penalties saw just one goal and they could only get three more shots on target. We’ve known Victory to be clinical but they were anything but during this game.

The baffling decision to give Max Beister just nine minutes of game time over the games could be one of the reasons they lost, they were tired. After playing an almost identical squad against Wellington as they did against Brisbane, they had to make major changes against Perth, although Valeri, Broxham and Troisi started all three games.

They face Sydney FC during the week and with a lack of confidence and squad fatigue, it’s hard to see them breaking the drought against the undefeated side. They have the advantage of seeing Sydney without Rhyan Grant, who’s yellow card will see him sit out the match.

It really has not been their week this week and it’s hard to see them improving quickly. Definitely the flop of the week this week.

REFEREE WATCH

Rhyan Grant was lucky to get away without a red card after making a poor studs up challenge on Marcelo Carrusca. It was early on in the game and while that could have been a factor, the challenge should have been rewarded with the red.

It was a dangerous challenge and while the yellow will see Grant miss the next match anyway but the referee should have been much more firm here. A big talking point for Adelaide fans.

Maybe it was karma but just a few minutes later, Sydney were denied a goal from Filip Holosko after it was deemed he was offside. The problem? He wasn’t. While it was a tight call, there was enough in it that the assistant should have gone with the attacking side.

Sydney may have felt robbed if the match had ended differently but in the end, it didn’t matter. Perhaps Holosko will be the only one really upset, having missed the chance to extend his goal tally. Maybe a harsh one but it was definitely a talking point during the match.

The biggest call of the weekend perhaps was Roy O’Donovan’s red card and the match may have been very different for City who were only able to find one extra goal from the man advantage. Sticking an arm out behind him whilst making a run, the Irishman found Michael Jakobson’s head with his hand.

There is not much doubt that it could have been worthy of a free kick, the red card was baffling. A yellow may have been judged harshly but it was even more bizarre that the red was awarded. Reminiscent of the Besart Berisha incident from the week before, it’s interesting the referee didn’t hesitate to award the red.

While the banned may be overturned, the real damage has been down, with the Mariners missing out on a valuable chance to secure some vital points.