A New Year’s Day edition of the Battle of the West in Parramatta witnessed the Bulls succumb to a defeat against the Wanderers.
The Bulls were unfortunately defeated by the Western Sydney Wanderers on New Year’s Day. The Wanderers were the first to open the scoring just three minutes into the match after Nicolas Milanovic and Marcus Anntonnson linked up to tap the ball into the back of the Bulls net. The Bulls fought back with Raphael Borgess Rodrigues having a chance that skimmed across the face of the goal, coming close to breaking the deadlock.
In the 12th minute, the Wanderers doubled their lead with a set-piece goal from Aidan Simmons. The Bulls continued pressing towards the goal, with chances from Valere Germain narrowly missing. Finally, in the 19th minute, the Bulls broke the deadlock as Jake Hollman took matters into his own hands, weaving through the Wanderers’ defenses and scoring an absolute screamer of a goal from outside the box. This goal provided the push the Bulls needed.
The rest of the first half saw the Bulls focus on their defensive efforts, with the back line making some clinical clearances to deny the Wanderers from extending their lead. The second half portrayed a more confident Bulls side, with Jed Drew, who replaced Raphael, making an immediate impact off the bench. Drew combined with captain Ulises Davila for an excellent chance at goal, leaving many wondering how it didn’t go in.
Oliver Jones, Ali Auglah and Lachlan Rose also made appearances off of the bench, replacing Ivan Vujica, Clayton Lewis and Ulises Davila. LA. Rose linked up perfectly with Jed Drew, helping to push the Bulls closer towards an equaliser. Unfortunately, the evening concluded in heartbreak for the Bulls when the Wanderers extended their lead to three goals in the 84th minute through Valentino Yuel. Despite continued efforts in the remaining minutes, the Bulls couldn’t break the deadlock.
The New Year’s Day clash ended in defeat for the Bulls, losing 3 – 1 against local rivals Western Sydney Wanderers.
Want to see the Bulls play live? The Bulls are back at home on Friday the 5th of January, 2024 at 7:45pm, for an exciting Round 11 of the Isuzu UTE A-League season against Newcastle Jets at Campbelltown Sports Stadium. Tickets are now on sale, so remember to secure your seat today!
