WAGGA City Wanderers’ are through to the next round of the nationwide FFA Cup courtesy of a 4-2 victory over Sydney-based Western Condors at Gissing Oval on Wednesday.
The Wanderers made the perfect start to their home games for the year with a dominant display in front of a big Easter Monday crowd in Wagga.
Teenager Alex Mulrooney-Castellano scored a double on debut to guide to the Wanderers to victory.
The win silenced the knockers within the Football Wagga community and gets the Wanderers through to round five of the FFA Cup, where they will again host a home game.
Wanderers coach Blaise Fagan was proud of his men.
“It’s terrific, a great result for Wagga,” Fagan said.
“This didn’t surprise me at all, when the boys play to their potential they can do almost anything.”
The Wanderers were on top from the outset, with Scott Dunn putting them in front early.
Some brilliant team work from Mulrooney-Castellano and Adrian Jolly stretched the lead to 2-0, shortly before half-time and it could have been more if not for two saved penalties.
Carl Pideski put the Wanderers 3-0 up shortly after the break, before Mulrooney-Castellano’s second put the result beyond doubt.
A double to Western Condors’ Chris Kartambis in the last 10 minutes added some respectability to the scoreline for the visitors.
Fagan praised the Wanderers’ defence.
“We moved the ball around well but our defence was exceptional,” he said.
“The back four played as a unit, compressed the opposition and were strong at the challenge, which is really important.”
Western Condors finished with 10 men after goalkeeper Rodrigo Galiavo, who had pulled off some great saves, was given his second yellow card in the dying minutes.
It was a sometimes fiery affair with a whopping 11 yellow cards issued, as well as the Condors’ coach being removed from the bench.
The Wanderers will now host a midweek FFA Cup fixture in a couple of weeks.
It is the beginning of a busy week for the Wanderers, who host their opening state league fixture at home on Saturday.
