Western downed in near washout

MACARTHUR FC achieved a couple of club firsts, as they came from behind to beat Western United 2-1 at a rain-lashed Campbelltown Stadium on Saturday.

Trailing to a fine Dylan Pierias strike in the eighth minute, Macarthur scored their first come-from-behind win in seven attempts and moved up three places on the A League table to third.

It also gave the fledgling club back-to-back home wins for the first time, as they relished returning to their base after four straight away games.

They ended a four-and-a-half-hour goal drought on a surface that held up remarkably well given the torrential rain in Sydney on Saturday.

After going goalless in their last two matches, both losses, Macarthur finally rediscovered their scoring touch.

Headers to imports Matt Derbyshire and Markel Susaeta put Macarthur ahead by halftime of the clash, which was played in driving rain in the first half, before conditions eased after the break.

“The playing surface was great. I didn’t think it would be that good before the game,” said Macarthur coach Ante Milicic.

“To come from behind and to win in that manner, that gives us a lot moving forward.”

United remain eighth and have lost all three of their games outside Victoria this season.

Macarthur almost scored in the third minute, when United’s Connor Pain mis-kicked and Ivan Franjic put his first time shot wide, with the visiting goalkeeper Ryan Scott well off his line.

Pierias made them pay a few minutes later when he scored his fifth goal of the season, cutting inside and smashing a left foot shot into the net.

Unfazed Macarthur stuck to their possession-based style and controlled most of the first half.

Englishman Derbyshire’s powerful header from a Franjic cross looped over Scott to bring Macarthur level in the 35th minute.

The aerial route again proved productive in added time at the end of the first half.

Spaniard Susaeta drifted between a couple of defenders to head home a fine Tommy Oar cross.

“During the week we spoke about the amount of crosses that they get in and we worked on defending crosses and yet we conceded two goals from crosses,” United coach Mark Rudan said.

“The second thing (that frustrated me the most) was when we did get the ball on transition we continued to turn it over within one or two passes and let them back into the game.”

After the break, United gained the ascendancy and created some chances, with Macarthur threatening on the counterattack In the latter stages.

United striker Besart Berisha netted in the 56th minute, but the VAR confirmed the referee’s original call of offside.

– BY ADRIAN WARREN/ AAP