A dismal performance by the Western Sydney Wanderers has seen them lose 2-0 to Melbourne City tonight.
Melbourne City took the game with a blistering 2 minutes, taking advantage of abysmal defence from Western Sydney. The first goal coming as a result of a long throw-in well into the City half, being launched over the top of a completely disjointed Wanderers defence, Raul Llorente beaten for pace by Lachie Wales, and no cover defence in sight, the flyer burst into the penalty area to beat Vedran Janjetovic who as usual, dived before the shot was taken and saw it sail through the path he vacated.
The second came very soon after, Riley McGreen turned Llorente and burned him for pace, surging into the penalty area, drawing a defender then laying off the ball to fullback Ritchie De Laet who unerringly found the bottom corner of the goal.
Western Sydney had their usual handful of chances that they completely wasted, then the game turned on 55 minutes. Rostyn Griffiths, who had until then run the midfield for Melbourne City, stupidly lunged out at a rolling ball that Alexander Baumjohann was far closer to. He was shown his second yellow and sent off with the inevitably red card.
With an anxious and at times angry crowd waited with baited breath for the Wanderers to land a blow on the side down to 10 men, unfortunately Eugene Galekovic stood in front of the goal, blocked shot after shot, including a top drawer save from a Baumjohann blast that viewers would have expected to bulge the back of the net.
The Wanderers pressure was rewarded with a penalty in the 85th minute, as Nathaniel Atkinson was judged to have hand-balled on a cross into the box, and Oriol Riera stepped up. With the chance to pull a goal back and give them hope in the dying embers of the game, the out of form striker fired low to his left, a poor penalty that Eugene waited for and pounced upon, turning it wide.
It was the cherry on top of one of the worst performances in the history of the Wanderers, and will leave the fans wondering how on earth will Markus Babbel turn it around. Many will no doubt consider it an impossibility until the majority of the playing roster is cut from the club.
The Wanderers face Melbourne Victory next Saturday, the 5th of January, kickoff at 7:50pm at the Sydney Olympic Stadium.
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