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The 2nd Sydney Derby of the 2023/24 A-League was a horrendous suicidal performance by a Wanderers team who had no idea how to defend their own penalty box and compounded their defensive woes with abysmal short passing in their own half, copping a 4-1 loss that puts them in danger of exiting the top 6 entirely if Melbourne City or Brisbane Roar can get their act together.

Lawrence Thomas was still out for the Wanderers along with the long-term injury for Marcus Antonsson. Sydney had Patrick Wood out and Luke Brattan suspended. It took all of 3 minutes for the visitors to break the deadlock, the first corner of the game resulted in a free header for Rhyan Grant on the penalty box that he smashed home giving Daniel Margush no chance.

The explosive start got even worse for the Wanderers when a scramble in the box ended with Lachlan Brook sticking his hand up in the air just in time for a Sydney player to kick the ball straight into it. Referee Alex King had no hesitation sending Fabio Gomes to the spot and Gomes sent Margush the wrong way with a stutter step run and a kick to make it 2-0 in 7 minutes.

Margush almost cost his team a 3rd with an awful short pass that became a 50/50 with Hendrix and his marker, the ball falling for a shot by Gomes that Margush redeemed himself with a good save.

The closest the Wanderers got to an attack in the entire first half was Clisby delaying far too long when he had three players breaking through the static defensive line, Borrello got the ball and put it in the net but he looked offside live and the VAR confirmed. A late free kick ended with a Alex Bonetig header that was well off target.

It was a half dominated by Sydney FC, 12 shots to 3, 6 corners to 0, a significant advantage in the one on one duels and of course the two goals, a scoreline that was generous to the Wanderers after their failure in the opening 10 minutes.

Oscar Priestman came on for Alex Badolato and it did nothing to help the situation because 5 minutes into the second half Bonetig gave it away in a dangerous area, a simple midfield pass that allowed Adrian Caceres to nip in and knock it to Jake Hollman and with the defence split as is the current football fashion, it left a gaping hole for Hollman to find Robert Mak who took one touch to set himself up for a shot on the edge of the penalty are that he put past Margush's right arm.

It was 4-0 on the hour after a suicidal mixup at the back, Tom Beadling's backpass was far too heavy, doubly so when Margush had rushed out of the goal to meet it. The keeper botched the clearance, the ball flew backward toward the open net and after Margush failed to dive on the ball or clear it, Fabio Gomes added to his penalty by finishing into the open net for his second of the evening.

A fluke goal with 20 minutes to play ended the Sydney FC clean sheet, substitute Zac Sapsford breaking the defensive line and having his attempted cut-back to the far post deflected over the outstretched hand of Andrew Redmayne. In the end it was little more than a bare consolation, as Sydney FC ran out the remainder of the game without much trouble at all.

What more needs to be said than the result? A four to one drubbing at home in the middle of Marko Rudan's third year at the club. Where the team had trouble stringing two passes together, had trouble defending set pieces and where Sydney FC's four goals were nowhere near as many as their performance deserved. Rudan was given a three year contract extension in mid-January, but done precious little to show he's deserved it since. Another defeat in a Derby, and you would struggle to see what he's improved since the finals loss last season.

The Wanderers next match is against Western United at Parramatta on Friday the 8th of March with kick-off at 7:45PM.