Spirit no match for late Wanderers surge

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A Nathanael Blair hat-trick inspired Western Sydney Wanderers to get back to winning ways in an emphatic 4-1 victory over NWS Spirit in round 5 of the National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s competition at Wanderers Football Park on Saturday

The home side came close inside the first 10 minutes, when Aydan Hammond went on a terrific run on the left before unleashing a shot at goal, but his well-struck effort rattled the crossbar.

Only a couple of minutes later, a heroic goal line block from Spirit skipper Grant Cornwell denied a close-range effort from Anthony Pantazopoulos.

Spirit came equally as close to breaking the deadlock almost immediately after, when Ollie Wiggin teed up Jarred McKinley on the edge of the penalty area, but his curling strike was met by the upright.

Twenty minutes in, and Blair found himself in behind Spirit’s back line, and before he was able to get a shot off, the referee deemed the striker to have been brought down by Cornwell, resulting in a Wanderers penalty kick.

The man who won the penalty stepped up, and struck it straight down the middle, sending Christopher Marques the wrong way and put the home side 1-0 up, making it Blair’s fourth goal of the campaign.

Cornwell more than made up for the foul that led to the penalty soon after, when Hammond fired it goalward from a low cross, only to be denied by another fantastic goal line block from Cornwell.

Five minutes before the break, the visitors responded.

A cross from deep was launched into the heart of the penalty area, and Taiga Harper’s punch fell to Luiz Lobo.

The Brazilian cut inside of Jesse Cameron and thundered it into the roof of the net, despite Harper’s best efforts to keep it out.

Wanderers really piled the pressure on in the final 10 minutes of the game, and they took the lead in the 83rd minute when a venomous volley from Alexander Badolato was saved by Marques, but followed up by Adam Bugarija, who placed it in from close range.

Not long after, Ante Bakmaz was sent off for a second bookable offence, and things went from bad to worse a minute after this for the visitors.

Ryley Hollingdale played a dangerous over the top through ball for Ryan Devine which forced Marques to come off his line, but his run was mistimed, and after colliding with Cornwell, Blair pounced onto the ball to convert into an empty net, making it 3-1 to Western Sydney Wanderers.

Deep into stoppage time, Blair capped off a tremendous display with a hat-trick, when his run in behind of the Spirit defence gave him only the keeper to beat, and the striker finished his opportunity expertly to secure his third of the match, and Wanderers’ fourth.

After the game, Blair reflected on an important three points, and an impressive individual performance.

“We backed ourselves.

“We’re all fit. When you play through feet and trust each other, the results will come.

“I’ve been working hard, especially on my finishing so I’m glad I could get three. I mean that’s six in three, so you’ll definitely take that.”

Match Stats

Western Sydney Wanderers FC 4 (Blair ’21, ’86, ‘90+5, Bugarija ’83)

NWS Spirit FC 1 (Lobo ’40)

Saturday 9 March 2024

Wanderers Football Park

Referee: Logan Jones

Assistant Referees: Thomas Gellatly & Hayden Kaye

Fourth Official: Jackson Tippett

Western Sydney Wanderers FC: 1. Taiga Harper 2. Nathan Barrie, 3. Anthony Pantazopoulos (77. Phillip Gigliotti ’88), 4. Doni Grdic, 7. Marcus Younis (99. Ryan Devine ’62), 8. Oscar Priestman (25. Ryley Hollingdale ’46), 9. Nathanael Blair, 10. Alexander Badolato, 12. Zachary Sapsford (11. Adam Bugarija ’46), 13. Aydan Hammond (23. Marcus Fernandez ’70), 22. Jesse Cameron.

Unused subs: 30. Marcus Petrovski

Yellow cards: Priestman ’18, Devine ‘63

Red cards: nil

NWS Spirit FC: 1. Christopher Marques, 4. Jarred Mckinley, 5. Bradley Whitworth, 8. Grant Cornwell, 11. Ollie Wiggin, 13. Simon Nicholas, 16. Ante Bakmaz, 17. Jacob Chidiac, 19. Jesse Michel, 20. Jared Lum (9. Gianni Bouzoukis ’65), 21. Luiz Lobo (3. Kyle Shaw ’81).

Unused subs: 15. Brayden Burr, 18. Zachary Cianci, 22. Jack Greenwood, 25. Jacob Sullivan

Yellow cards: Bakmaz ‘80

Red cards: Bakmaz ‘85

Player Ratings:

3: Nathanael Blair (WSW)

2: Aydan Hammond (WSW)

1: Adam Bugarija (WSW)

By Liam O’Sullivan (@liamdlosullivan)