Western Sydney Wanderers have defeated rivals Sydney FC 1-0 in the first Sydney Derby of the season.
Kusini Yengi’s 70th-minute strike was enough to break Wanderers’ winless run in Moore Park.
As flares went off in the home end right before kick-off, both supporter groups combined to create a cauldron-like atmosphere for the players.
The booing of Milos Ninkovic started early, the former Sydney star returning to Moore Park for the first time as a Wanderer.
On the pitch it was a cagey opening with both sides trying to settle into the contest.
Joe Lolley earned an early free kick for the Sky Blues with his pace down the left-hand side, but the set-piece ultimately came to nothing.
Lolley and fellow wide man Robet Mak were the main outlets for the home side in the early exchanges.
The initial wall of noise eventually subsided and the energy on-field dipped just a touch too.
Western Sydney looked to unlock the pace of Kusini Yengi with lofted balls over the Sky Blues’ defence.
Calem Nieuwenhof received the first caution of the Sydney Derby for a late foul in the centre circle.
A third of the contest had elapsed without either side really creating much of note.
Andrew Redmayne was finally forced into action, making a good save from a shot from distance.
The best chance of the opening half came for the visitors off a set-piece. Aerial ping-pong from the two sides led to the ball almost bouncing into Redmayne’s net, but instead it sailed harmlessly high for a goal kick.
Wanderers were just starting to claim the ascendency when Alex King’s whistle rung out for half-time.
As the second stanza got underway it was Robert Mak with half a chance, finding some space in the box but on a tight angle. Thomas parried the shot and fortuitously for the Western Sydney keeper it rebounded safely into his path.
Yengi went close for Wanderers after the home side gave up possession cheaply in their own half.
Still, both teams were proving difficult to break down.
As if written in a Hollywood screenplay, Ninkovic found himself all alone on the edge of the area with the ball at his feet. He advance toward former teammate Redmayne but never looked confident, ultimately letting off a tame side-footed strike the Sydney gloveman dealt with easily.
It was the moment everyone had been waiting for but there was to be no joy for the defector.
The opening goal of the Sydney Derby finally arrived in the 70th minute.
Yengi cut on to his right foot and sold a couple of dummies, getting rid of the Sydney defenders before unleashing a thunderous strike past Redmayne and up where the spiders live.
Allianz Stadium exploded with a deafening roar from the RBB and the visiting supporters.
Forced to chase the game, Steve Corica brought on Max Burgess, replacing Anthony Caceres in the No.10 role.
Western Sydney continued to hold the ascendancy with the home side pushing players forward in a bid to level the scores.
Sydney had a golden chance to equalise with substitute Adrian Segecic staring at a wide open net, but the youngster could only sky his unconfident strike high over the crossbar.
In the end, Yengi’s strike enough to consign Steve Corica’s side to their first Derby loss at Allianz Stadium in more than 3000 days.
Key Takeaways
Booing subsides as Ninkovic fails to convert golden chance
Ninkovic spoke pre-game about still feeling slighted by particular figures within Sydney FC, indirectly implicating Steve Corica for the breakdown in contractual discussions. Much of the marketing for the first Sydney Derby of the season centred around Ninkovic, understandably so.
Marko Rudan stayed with his usual line-up, so the script was written for Ninkovic to make himself a Western Sydney hero with a derby goal. Alas, despite his usual niftiness, Ninko was unable to wield too much influence on the game.
Redmayne was again the hero when he denied his former teammate from a one-on-one. It was a huge chance to punctuate a tough week for Ninkovic with a statement to his former employers and adoring fans.
There was some booing of the three-time A-League champion initially from the home fans, however it certainly wasn’t the relentless drone that some had predicted pre-game. The next chapter in this feud will be written on February 11 when the Wanderers welcome their rivals to CommBank Stadium.
Attendance lives up to the hype
At its peak, the Sydney Derby drew over 60,000 fans at Accor Stadium. Everything has changed since then – and not in a positive way – but tonight’s 32nd edition could be the precursor to the derby becoming the hottest ticket in town once more.
Sure, ticket sales would’ve experience a bump from the ‘new stadium factor’, but tonight’s crowd is proof that there is larger appetite for football in this city.
The key to maintaining and increasing that hunger, however, has proved elusive for countless administrators.
Could Danny Townsend, Adam Santo and Scott Hudson be the men to finally return this fixture to its former glory, and perhaps even eclipse those halcyon days?
Was Alex King right to let it flow?
King did a good job tonight, largely letting the players dictate the tempo and physicality level. It made for a free-flowing contest and action at both ends, but it did raise the age-old dilemma: is there a seperate rulebook for big games such as derbies?
Is the same play, that could potentially be interpreted as a ‘soft’ yellow, a caution at McDonald James Stadium earlier in the day and not at Allianz? There were certainly a couple of incidents throughout the contest that could’ve earned players a slice of cheese from the referee.
The inherent risk the ‘let it flow’ philosophy creates is that players can feel it is a green light to take liberties.
Ultimately, most stakeholders would agree that a stop-start contest is not what anyone wants. Whether referees are intentionally refereeing games differently or not, it’s hard to criticise Alex King today.
Image credit: Matt King/Getty Images
