Western United was daring, relentless, brave and brilliant to secure a 4-3 comeback win against Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park on Friday night.
After falling behind three times in the match, United had an answer for every question posed and landed the final blow in the 95th minute.
Hiroshi Ibusuki was the lead actor, netting the winner as well as the first goal, while Noah Botic also had a big part to play with a stoppage time goal of his own to level it.
Abel Walatee scored the other of United’s three second-half goals, cueing scenes of celebration as the Green and Black jumped Victory into fourth place on the Isuzu UTE A-League Men table.
Western United team news
There were three changes to Western United’s starting XI including a first senior start for Luke Vickery after two impressive substitute cameos.
Botic returned to the starting XI and Walatee made his comeback for the other two alterations, injecting speed and energy into United’s frontline.
First Half
The game started at a frenetic pace with challenges coming in within the opening seconds. Daniel Arzani fired a shot wide and Botic hit the post seconds later, though the offside flag belatedly went up.
That set the tone for a busy opening 10 minutes with neither side really taking a second to slow the pace down and get control of the ball.
With the home crowd behind them, that energy fed into Victory’s hands and Brendan Hamill took advantage to score on nine minutes, slipping a finish in at the near post after Victory reworked a cleared corner.
After a couple of stressful minutes following the goal, United had a chance to settle into the game and develop some sustained possession.
The chances then came soon after as Bozinovski had a shot deflected over and United kept the pressure on, winning another corner which ultimately produced the equaliser.
Vickery had a huge part in the build-up on his full debut, splitting the Victory defence open with an excellent ball for Ben Garuccio in behind.
The forward play was expert from Ibusuki as he got across his man at the front post, needing only to cushion Garuccio’s low cross into the net and restore parity.
United continued to play positively, using the energy of Vickery and Walatee on the wings to stretch Victory’s defence and look to carve out chances.
The home side remained a threat going forward and Matt Sutton was alive to make a couple of strong saves to keep it at 1-1.
There was nothing he could do in the 39th minute, though, as Victory caught United cold from one of its own corners, breaking with speed into the box. Arzani squared the ball to Bruno Fornaroli and the striker couldn’t miss with the goal gaping, giving Victory the lead at the break.
Second Half
Western United began the second half with intent, Ibusuki forcing an early corner before Vickery got an excellent shot away in a tight space at the top of the box, an effort matched only by a superb save from Jack Duncan.
That was how the Green and Black continued in the opening stages after the restart, keeping Victory under pressure with direct balls in behind and crosses into the box.
Vickery was at the heart of it again, picking out Walatee with a cross before another effort of his own that flashed off target after some brilliant footwork.
Garuccio had a free-kick that brushed the top netting before Victory went up the other end with what they thought was a sucker punch against the run of play, but Reno Piscopo’s celebrations were halted as Fornaroli had fouled Tate Russell in the box.
Western United stayed on the front foot after that scare and came as close as it had previously to levelling the game as Ibusuki flicked a header towards goal, only for Duncan to get his fingertips on it to push it onto the crossbar.
United’s second-half dominance eventually paid dividends after a sumptuous, sweeping team move from one end of the pitch to the other.
Following some slick one-touch passing, Russell released Vickery who powered down the right wing before sliding the ball back to Walatee who arrived at the top of the box with a deadly side-footed finish.
John Aloisi’s men kept pushing but a third Victory goal with 10 minutes remaining threatened to take the sting out of the team’s blistering second half.
This side is built of far sterner stuff, though, and Ibusuki immediately had another huge headed chance as Duncan made his third critical save of the second half.
Once the fourth official’s board indicated five minutes of added time, it was game on.
Botic scored the leveller with a sublime header from Angus Thurgate’s corner, mixing outstanding intelligence in his movement with glorious skill to flick it into the far corner.
Then came the winner. Riku Danzaki made a big impact off the bench and provided for his countryman, sizing up Kasey Bos before zipping the ball across goal and Ibusuki’s finish was supreme, sprawling in front of Hamill to hook it into the bottom corner.
Bedlam on the pitch, bedlam in the away end. And once United cleared one final Victory advance, the whistle sounded on one of the great A-Leagues comebacks.
