Macarthur and Western Sydney Wanderers have ended their A-League Men seasons on a frustrating note after being forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at Campbelltown Stadium.
After Jarrod Carluccio’s maiden ALM goal was cancelled out by Tomi Juric’s 55th minute penalty, the contest’s fiery nature obscured its status as a dead rubber for both teams.
With their hopes of finals already dashed, the point earned by the Bulls means Sydney must beat Brisbane on Tuesday to move past them into seventh.
Such movement would merely represent a re-arranging of the deck chairs on the table, however, with neither side at risk of falling into a playoff for a spot in the 2022 Australia Cup.
Wanderers, though, were already confirmed to be taking part in those fixtures and thanks to their 10th-placed finish will now host Brisbane next week.
Their final tally of 27 points is their lowest since 2018-19 and their 30 goals scored their smallest return since 2014–15.
Catching defender James Meredith flat-footed to head home after the pair had initially battled for a cross, Carluccio opened the scoring in the 10th minute of Sunday’s contest.
Dimi Petratos should have made it 2-0 in the 37th but, inexplicably, his close-range volley off a Carluccio cross was sliced over the bar.
Wanderers keeper Tomas MejÃas was kept on his toes as the Bulls pushed for an equaliser in the exchanges that followed, but there was little he could do about Juric’s spot-kick.
VAR had intervened to award the Socceroo striker the attempt after contact between he and Mark Natta as they competed for a corner was initially waved away.
Wanderers were again haunted by VAR in the 86th minute when it ruled out what would have been a late winner from Tomer Hemed.
Hemed had another chance in the 95th but was denied by a fine save from Filip Kurto.
RE-LIVE: MACARTHUR FC 1-1 WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS, AS IT HAPPENED
By Matt Comito for KEEPUP
The Wanderers threw the kitchen sink at Macarthur in the final stages, with Kurto coming up clutch with a monster save to deny Hemed, and Tass Mourdoukoutas heading just wide from a wide set piece.
86′: GOAL RULED OUT! (1-1)
So close for the Wanderers, who reclaim the lead through a Tomer Hemed header in a sea of bodies.
On VAR review, Natta – who was offside as Ramy Najjarine’s cross was floated into the box – was found to have intervened with Jordon Mutch as he attempted to win the aerial ball. Reibelt returned from the sideline monitor to rule out the goal.
55′: PENALTY! Bulls level it (1-1)
Referee Casey Reibelt points to the spot after Natta’s high elbow on Juric in the penalty area.
But it took an intervention from VAR to award the spot kick, with Reibelt ushered to the sideline monitor to review and ultimately reverse her original decision.
Juric stepped forward to bury the penalty into the bottom-right corner.
46′: SECOND HALF (0-1)
Tomi Juric comes on for the Bulls in place of James Meredith in a statement of attacking intent from the Bulls.
HALF-TIME: MACARTHUR 0-1 WANDERERS
Jarrod Carluccio described the feeling of scoring his maiden league goal as “a dream come true” to Paramount+ at the break, with his goal the difference at half-time.
45′: CHANCE! Toure (0-1)
Al Hassan Toure tries to bend one inside the far post from the edge of the penalty area, using defender Ziggy Gordon as a blind spot for Mejias as he bent the ball toward goal.
Toure’s shot whipped just past the post.
36′: CHANCES! Crossbar struck twice (0-1)
“How has he not scored from there?” Asked Paramount+ co-commentator Phil Moss as Dimitri Petratos skimmed the bar from inside the six-yard box.
The ball dropped off the woodwork after Kurto’s save from Carluccio’s strike – it fell kindly for the visitors and seemed certain to find its way into the back of the net before Petratos struck high.
32′: Early injury to Antonis (0-1)
Wanderers midfielder Terry Antonis limps from the field clutching at his hamstring, and is replaced by Steven Ugarkovic.
10′: GOAL! Carluccio for Wanderers (0-1)
Jarrod Carluccio puts the visitors in front, getting on the end of a Mark Natta cross off the left flank and squeezing a header past the outrushing Filip Kurto.
James Meredith helped the ball over the line whilst trying to clear the danger.
2′: CHANCE! Dávila (0-0)
Ulises Dávila goes closest to opening the scoring, attempting a cheeky chip from a tight angle which lofted over Thomas Mejias in goal for the Wanderers before fading past the post.
1′: KICK-OFF (0-0)
We’re underway in Campbelltown!
