Wagga City Wanderers upset Tuggeranong United 4-3 in CPL soccer

The Wanderers became just the second team this season to down Tuggeranong with a brilliant Jacob Ochieng strike in the 85^th minute proving the match-winner.

While it was Ochieng that sealed the win, a hat-trick from Morris Kadzola put the Wanderers in a winning position.

Down 1-0 after 19 minutes, Kadzola scored successive penalties in the space of five minutes to give the Wanderers the lead.

With the scores level at 2-2 at half-time, Kadzola again found himself on the penalty spot, only for his strike to be saved by the Tuggeranong United keeper. The overseas recruit quickly followed it up however and put it in the back of the net to again give the Wanderers the lead.

The Wanderers held the lead for seven minutes until Tuggeranong levelled at 3-3, setting the stage for Ochieng to land the match-winner for the visitors.

Wanderers coach Dave Leonard was as proud as punch.

"We got a couple of penalties, which was huge, but in saying that, things haven't always gone our way as the season's gone by so it's nice to get a bit of reward for effort. To create those penalty opportunities you've got to be in the box so we were up and about," Leonard said.

"We were just up for the contest, the boys had something to prove. Our last display against those guys was not good, it's not who we are and the boys had something to prove and they did that, it was bloody awesome."

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Belief is the biggest thing the Wanderers will take from the contest, according to Leonard.

"Just again, it gives the boys that confidence," he said.

"We've been on a run anyway so the guys have definitely been up and about anyway but to knock the top team off is something pretty special.

"So it just reinforces some belief in the group as well to say, hey, we understand we need to be at our best when we're playing these top sides but if we can do that then we're well and truly in the match."

Ocheing, in only his second full game back from a hamstring injury, was electric for the Wanderers on Saturday, while Daniel Okot and Matt Mitchell were others to shine.

"That was the best contested footy that the team's played all year," Leonard said.

"It's good for the boys, it's good to see them up and about. They have been for a little while but this is icing on the cake.

"In saying that, it also puts pressure on the squad now."

The win did not elevate the Wanderers any higher than the sixth position they started the round in. However just two points separates third to sixth.

"It gives us self belief and it sets us up, it's so tight from second to sixth," Leonard said.

"We wanted to jag a point, we thought if we can take a point that would be absolutely awesome, that was always in our mind and that was our mindset absolutely.

"But we always give ourselves a chance, you have to belief in yourself and look what can happen when you do."

The Wanderers are just two points from third and a point from fourth but have the worst goal difference of the four teams competing for the final two spots in the top four.

They face another big game next Saturday when they host third-placed Brindabella at Gissing Oval.

There are eight rounds remaining in the regular season and the Wanderers have five of those games at home.

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