Late Santalab goal is all Wanderers needed

The Western Sydney Wanderers claimed bragging rights over arch-rivals Sydney FC thanks to a narrow victory at Pirtek Stadium Parramatta as a late goal from substitute Brandan Santalab sent the home fans into raptures, just as it appeared the contest may be heading for a scoreless draw.

From well before kick-off, fans behind the goal were waving single-coloured flags – either red, white or black – in a spectacle that is truly unique to football in Australia.

The oft maligned Red and Black Block created an atmosphere with their stupendous chanting and dancing that should be commended rather vilified by some journalists in a bid to generate some unnecessary hysteria.

The RBB duly unfurled and a three-part banner against a Daily Telegraph journalist midway through the first stanza of play to vent their frustration at the recent negative press.

The game itself could have been over for Sydney FC in the first half because Western Sydney hit the woodwork of the goalpost three times.

In the 8^th minute a Tomi Juric rocket hit the upright and rebounded off goalkeeper Vedran Janjetovic for a corner but the Sydney FC shot-stopper can hardly claim to have known much about that one.

In the 17^th minute Alessandro Del Piero tried to weave some of his usual magic but in the end his shot was deflected by Matthew Spiranovic and goalkeeper Ante Covic made a good save despite being wrong footed.

Mark Bridge should have put the Wanderers ahead with a powerful drive that he created himself but somehow the ball just missed the intended target by the narrowest of margins.

The best opportunity in the first half arrived shortly before the break when Youssouf Hersi drove from distance catching Janjetovic off his line. The ball then rebounded off the crossbar and straight into the path of the unmarked Juric who drilled it back onto the crossbar again. He couldn’t have hit that target if he intended to but somehow he did much to the disappointment of the home fans at the sell-out venue.

After the break it was clear that Sydney FC were fired up by the words of their coach Frank Farina and they clearly had the better of the earlier half chances.

The best of them arrived in the 57^th minute when Del Piero flicked the ball sidewards to Terry McFlynn who without a powerful shot forced Covic into a diving save to turn it around for a corner. It was the closest Sydney FC came all night.

When Del Piero was substituted by Farina in the 80^th minute the game was as good as over for Sydney FC. Santalab had come close minutes earlier but in the 86^th minute he finally struck gold.

Played in by Hersi, he beat the offside trap and calmly slotted past Janjetovic and then charged towards the RBB to celebrate. It was all the Wanderers needed to cement a narrow victory and claim all three points.

Western Sydney Wanderers:  Covic, Spiranovic, Topor-Stanley, D’Apuzzo, Ono (89’ Minniecon), Mooy, La Rocca (43’ Trifiro), Bridge, Hersi, Juric (60’ Santalab), Alessi.

Sydney FC: Janjetovic, Warren, Despotovic, Jurman, Petkovic, Bojic, Emerton (52’ Gameiro), McFlynn, Thompson (68’ Naumoff), Del Piero (80’ Caton), Abbas.