Western United fell to a narrow 1-0 home defeat at Allianz Stadium against Sydney FC in the Liberty A-League on Sunday evening.
After dominating the first half, the Green and Black couldn’t take advantage in the home fixture and allowed the away side to come back into the contest.
The visitors ultimately pinched the lead with 20 minutes to play and kept United out for the remainder of the match to take the three points away from home.
United will take plenty of positives out of the game ahead of a second consecutive home fixture next week, that one back in Victoria against Adelaide United.
Western United Team News
Kat Smith named an unchanged starting XI for the clash but there was one big addition to the substitute’s bench as Hannah Keane returned in reserve after sitting out last week’s win over Melbourne Victory.
Grace Maher wore the captain’s armband as she led the team out in her 100th Liberty A-League appearance, while Adriana Taranto brought up a milestone of her own, reaching 50 games in the competition.
First Half
Western United started sharply, looking to play forward with purpose in possession and closing down Sydney players out of possession.
There was space aplenty across the large Allianz Stadium surface and United looked to get the ball moving quickly into that space.
The first big chance of the game fell to Alana Cerne after Chloe Logarzo drilled an excellent corner delivery to the back post where Cerne made contact, but a Sydney defender somewhat inadvertently blocked it from close range before it could trouble Jada Whyman.
Cerne was in the thick of it again minutes later after another corner routine. This one went short from Logarzo to Maher whose first-time cross floated in deep but bent away from Whyman.
The movement of the ball created a mix-up at the back and Cerne was onto it but just couldn’t quite control her header as the ball spun awkwardly up towards her, with the effort grazing the crossbar on its way over.
Counter attacks were particularly dangerous given the size of the pitch and the visitors threatened with a couple, exploiting the pace and quality of Princess Ibini and Mackenzie Hawkesby going forward.
Neither side was able to create the next clear chance on goal until the half hour mark and it was Western United that found it again.
After an excellent bit of skill, Keiwa Hieda set United forward and reacted quickest to follow up a deflected pass and move one-on-one with Whyman in the box, but the Sydney goalkeeper made a brilliant save with an outstretched leg before the ball looped agonisingly wide.
United had seven corners in the first half and threatened from just about all of them, but the visitors were able to clear the danger on each occasion to leave the game scoreless heading into half-time.
Second Half
United got straight back on the front foot after the restart and quickly had another corner. This time Tyla Vlajnic got on the end of it but couldn’t keep her header underneath the crossbar.
Following that chance, United were somewhat disjointed in possession and the away side began to creep on top in the match.
The Green and Black maintained some nice passages of play with the ball but largely struggled to find the same dominance from the first period.
Cortnee Vine came off the bench for Sydney and the visitors immediately started to look for her as an outlet at every opportunity.
The Sky Blues picked her out with a number of long balls and United defended each one well until the 70th minute when Ibini split United’s defence with a ball from the left flank.
Vine made her run from out to win and got to the ball just before Hillary Beall did to lift it over the goalkeeper and into the net and the offside flag stayed down to allow the goal to stand.
United continued to push and throw everything at an equaliser and had a big handball appeal with just over five minutes when Shay Hollman was caught with her arm well away from her body in the box.
The referee waved the appeals away and allowed the visitors to up the other end and substitute Abbey Lemon forced a good save from Beall to keep it at 1-0.
Despite a number of late set pieces and balls in the box, Western United just couldn’t break the away side down to find an equaliser, succumbing to a second home defeat of the season.