Western United extend winning streak

WESTERN United have extended their A-League Men winning run to three after defeating Brisbane Roar 1-0 at GMHBA Stadium.

After they proved frustratingly blunt in the first half, Connor Pain provided what was, on the balance of play, a deserved lead for United in the 50th minute when he volleyed home a deftly chipped cutback from Lachie Wales.

The win, at least temporarily, sent John Aloisi’s side top of the ALM table while the Roar remain rooted to the bottom with just a single point and goal to their name after their opening month.

Across their opening four games, Aloisi’s side has conceded just a single goal and that lone blemish came from a set-piece.

Saturday’s win was also delivered without the service of Swiss defender Leo Lacroix, who is expected to be fit for his side’s game against Adelaide next week.

“We dropped off a little bit and gave the ball away a little bit cheaply where we could have kept on shifting and then it just gives them that little bit of hope,” Aloisi said.

“Again, it’s a clean sheet, they didn’t really look like scoring, they didn’t really create any chances and it should have been a more comfortable win.

“[The defensive strength] give us a platform to allow us to compete.”

Consistently afforded opportunities to drive towards the penalty area from positions out wide thanks to passive Roar defending, United were able to create numerous chances across the game’s opening stanza but lacked the final killer touch needed to convert.

Seeking to stretch his run of games with a goal to three, Dylan Wenzel-Halls squandered two early gilt-edged chances to open the scoring, his latter attempt in the 11th minute coming after Pain had a shot from a Wales cutback well saved by Macklin Freke.

Despite seeing their fair share of the ball, the visitors struggled to fashion chances up the other end that would raise the pulse of their former custodian Jamie Young in the United goal.

The Roar were ultimately outshot 19 to six across the 90 minutes.

Their task was made all the more difficult when Cory Brown went down without contact and was quickly replaced by Josh Brindell-South in the 46th minute.

Pain promptly netted three minutes later.

Down a goal, Roar constructed more attacks as time waned but displayed a frustrating sense of inertia upon reaching United’s penalty area.

Jay O’Shea produced a lone shot on target for the game when he forced Young into a relatively simple save in the 67th minute.

– BY JOEY LYNCH/ AAP