Mark Bridge took home the match ball after scoring the Wanderers first ever competitive hat-trick, adding to goals by Shinji Ono, Dino Kresinger and Joey Gibbs to dish out an obliteration of 2nd placed Adelaide United.
On the pitch the scoring floodgates finally opened for Western Sydney, who dismantled the 2nd placed Adelaide like they were a fourth tier side. Shinji Ono struck the initial shot of the match, a long ranged attempt after some nice work by Mateo Poljak down the wing. The Wanderers were utterly dominant in the first half, Adelaide could only get two shots toward goal and both were off target. The Wanderers converted their heavy pressure after 17 minutes, Youssouf Hersi received a ball from Shinji Ono and flicked it up over the head of the Adelaide defence. Iain Fyfe tracked the run of Kresinger, leaving Mark Bridge to ghost in behind the big central defender. As the ball bobbled, Bridge took on the volley and nestled it into the corner past Eugene Galekovic. Bridge came close to his second 10 minutes later when Dino held the ball up for Bridge to run onto but Galekovic saved well.
The match appeared destined to head into half-time at 1-0, Bridge had something to say about that. Released on a run down the left wing by Poljak that had the winger in behind, he turned Fyfe inside out, cut inside, faked a shot before cutting back to the outside and firing it home at the back post. Incredulously Western Sydney scored a 3rd goal before the break, Covic pumped a ball long, against the golden rule of defending in any code involving a ball, they let it bounce. Dino nodded the ball over to Ono who returned it with a sublime chip. Dino towered over Nigel Boogaard, and the big striker picked out the bottom left corner to break his duck for the Wanderers to the delight of the 9,000+ crowd at Parramatta. They chanted his name across the stadium and he was mobbed by the rest of the team.
Incredibly the Wanderers made it five just before the hour mark. Bridge nabbed himself the match ball by scoring the first ever hat-trick at Parramatta Stadium. Adelaide were defensively invisible once more, allowing Mooy to find Hersi with a simple pass on the ground and Hersi to find Bridge with another ground pass. Kresinger made his angled run toward the near post dragging both Adelaide central defenders with him. This gave Bridge a clear sight on goal, he took two steps forward and neatly finished with a first time effort that gave Galekovic no chance.
Manager Tony Popovic signified he was secure with the lead by making two changes, Ono and Kresinger replaced by Minniecon and Gibbs respectively. Dario Vidosic pulled a goal back for Adelaide on a nice through ball by Neumann. Beauchamp was overloaded with two opponents and caught out by some poor positioning. The game petered out from that moment on, Adelaide did try to recover another goal for pride, the Wanderers defensive shape re-established itself.
As injury time approached the Wanderers notched up the 6th and final goal of the match. Young gun Joey Gibbs benefited from Hersi, cutting inside a defender and turning his pass inside. Bridge faked to take on the shot first-time, wrong footing the Adelaide defenders. Gibbs took a touch, ran it across his body and buried his shot.
A remarkable victory for Western Sydney which lifted them to 3rd on the ladder at the time. It was truly a night of epic proportions and Parramatta witnessed a mass march by Wanderers supporters post-game back down through Church Street to the Woolpack. A glorious night for everyone involving with the club.
The Wanderers next match is against Perth Glory at Pattersons Stadium, Perth, on Friday the 27th of December at 9:45pm Eastern Daylight Savings Time.
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