Rudan lauds United’s depth in A-League win

WESTERN United coach Mark Rudan has hailed his club’s depth after the A-League club snapped a two-game losing streak with a 1-0 win over Brisbane Roar on Sunday night at AAMI park.

Alessandro Diamanti came off the bench to deliver a marvellous assist for Dylan Pierias’ 72nd-minute header but Besart Berisha only provided a substitute cameo.

Rudan lauded the impressive work of teenage midfielder Luke Duzel and winger-turned-striker Lachie Wales in their respective rare starts.

“People think we heavily rely on those two [Diamanti and Berisha] so it was up to the players that came in,” Rudan said.

“We were a very different team, we can do things without them. They give obviously some certain skill sets and quality, as you saw with Dia’s assist.

“But we were able to press with intent and intensity and I thought that was really good, that was probably the best part about it.

“I thought it was a great team performance tonight when we needed it most.”

In the process, United extended the Roar’s winless run to six games with Warren Moon’s side last securing three points against Melbourne Victory on 6 February.

Western United goalkeeper Ryan Scott put on a show between the sticks, denying Riku Danzaki in the 10th minute, then again in the 23rd.

Danzaki went on a dashing run through the centre of the park and unleashed a lethal strike, with Scott diving to make a fingertip save.

Late in the first half, Dylan Wenzel-Halls shrugged off Victor Sanchez’s challenge and forced a sharp low save from Scott.

Pierias spurned opportunities to open the scoring in the 55th and 59th minute, while Wales had the ball in the back of the net in the 63rd but was offside.

Then, in the 67th, Jay O’Shea forced another diving save from Scott before Jamie Young denied Diamanti two minutes later.

But in the 72nd, Diamanti dinked an incredible left-footed ball over the Roar defence, where it bounced for a brave, diving Pierias to head home.

Brisbane had a late corner and, in an attempt to pinch a point, goalkeeper Jamie Young ran up the field.

But Scott punched it away and on the break, Pierias and Connor Pain combined, with the latter sliding the ball into the empty net.

But a VAR review showed the ball had hit Pierias’ hand in the build-up, with the goal chalked off, leaving Rudan to lament missing out on a 2-0 win.

“We’ve had about four or five VARs [decisions]. Not one has gone our way,” Rudan said.

 

– BY ANNA HARRINGTON/ AAP