West Sydney Supporters Meeting Sunday 3rd June

WANDERERS BACK TO WINNING FORM AFTER A WIN AT BARTON PARK The Wanderers played in a Friday night game against St. George FC at Barton Park, Banksia which saw the Wanderers getting a 3-0 win. Alaat Abdul-Rahman finally ends his goal drought with a first half goal alongside Noah Peacock scoring his first NPL first grade goal. Richard Nkomo would get the third goal for the Wanderers very late in the second half. The squad underwent several changes. Due to suspensions, Ricky Fransen and Kaan Nizam were unavailable. Lachlan Tilt and Dallo Sandy returned to the squad after completing their suspensions. Nicholas Badolato, Jesse Cameron, and Noah Peacock were promoted from the bench to the starting eleven, while Luka Knezevic and Richard Nkomo were moved to the bench. Despite his injury last week against Blacktown City, Julian Cop was included in the squad. In the 2nd minute, Aiden Simmons was fouled by Sunday Yona approximately 25 yards from the goal posts, giving the Wanderers a chance to score. Edmund Haddad and Nicholas Badolato positioned themselves near the ball, but Badolato took the free kick, which went over the crossbar. Sunday Yona and Bai Antoniou provided an opportunity to score for St George FC in the 8th minute. Yona entered the penalty box and passed back to Bai Antoniou, who took a shot from just outside the penalty box. Antoniou’s shot was saved by Tristan Vidackovic. In the 12th minute, Saxon Hillyer and St George FC captain Troy Danaskos both went for the ball. Hillyer's studs contacted Danaskos' ankle, prompting the St George FC crowd to call for Hillyer to be sent off with a red card. However, Hillyer received a yellow card, as the Wanderers aimed to avoid being reduced to 10 players early in the game. The Wanderers secured their first goal of the night in the 15th minute. Jesse Cameron, advancing down the right flank, passed to Edmun Haddad who successfully dribbled past Jayden Seeto and delivered a pass to Alaat Abdul-Rahman. Abdul-Rahman executed a nutmeg on MacKenzie Syron, sending the ball into the back of the net. This goal was particularly significant for Abdul-Rahman, as he had not scored in the previous eight games. The Wanderers almost coughed up a goal in the 23rd minute with Nathan Barrie doing a back pass to Tristan Vidackovic. Two St George FC players sprinted to Vidackovic to try and get the ball. It was almost a replica of the incident that happened last week against Blacktown City were Vidackovic panicked and gave up possession, but Vidackovic miraculously dribbled past the St George FC player and then cleared the ball. It was a great job by Vidackovic. Two minutes later, the Wanderers achieved their second goal. The team intercepted the ball from Sunday Yona within St George's half of the field. Aiden Simmons gained possession and connected with Alaat Abdul-Rahman, who then found Edmun Haddad near the box. Haddad tapped the ball into the box, securing a substantial advantage for the Wanderers, leading 2-0 within the first 20 minutes of the game. Aiden Simmons did a brilliant solo run in the 38th minute that saw him easily dribbling past St George’s defence. He would be taken down just outside the penalty box area that saw a handful of Wanderers players raise their hands to yell for a penalty but it was not given. In the first minute of added time in the first half, Kaidyn Wright attempted to score for St George. Wright was surrounded by several Wanderers players as he dribbled past them and took a shot at goal. The ball deflected off Lachlan Tilt and headed towards the goalposts. Tristan Vidackovic swiftly dived and made an impressive save, preventing St George from scoring and ensuring the Wanderers maintained a 2-0 lead going into halftime. In the second half, St George emerged with renewed energy and determination to score. Bai Antoniou received a well-timed pass early in the half, which allowed him to penetrate the Wanderers' defence. Subsequently, Sunday Yona observed that Justin Poon was unmarked and passed the ball to him. Poon then took a shot that narrowly missed the crossbar. In the 60th minute, Antoniou passed to Yona, prompting Vidackovic to step up and beat Yona to the ball, preventing a scoring chance. In the 71st minute, amidst Wanderers' defense struggles, Antoniou gained possession and fired a shot. Vidackovic saved it brilliantly, with Barrie maintaining control to avert danger. St George tried again as Wanderers struggled to clear the ball from their half; Antoniou shot outside the penalty box, but Vidackovic made another excellent save. As two minutes of additional time had been played and the score remained two-nil, St George FC earned a corner kick with the sole ambition of registering themselves on the scoreboard. This corner kick quickly transitioned into a counterattack, as Luka Knezevic passed the ball to Aiden Simmons, who sprinted towards St George's half of the field. Aiden Simmons received support from his left, where Ricard Nkomo took possession and fired a shot at goal, securing a 3-0 victory for the Wanderers and earning them three points. The Wanderers were in urgent need of this victory. They performed exceptionally well in the first half, and although they encountered difficulties in defense during the second half, their overall defensive performance was significantly improved tonight. This win elevates them to 15th place. As we approach the midway point, securing any win or draw from this stage onwards is crucial to avoid relegation to League One. Next week the Wanderers NPL squad play in another Friday night game (16th May, 2025) against the Central Coast Mariners at Pluim Park, Lisarow. Kick-Off scheduled for 6:30pm.

Yep I stuffed that up.  But yes us v e WU or in a GF would be like a home game crowd wise.  

So was I.  Comes to nought!