A-League newcomers Western United FC sent a message to the rest of the playoff-bound teams with a 2-1 victory over Premier Plate winners Sydney FC on Saturday that moved them within striking distance of finishing third in the regular season.
Steven Lustica scored a last-minute winner for Western United at Leichhardt Oval in Sydney to propel his team into fifth place with one game remaining.
The Mark Rudan-coached side, making their debut in the Australian top-level soccer competition, could finish third if they beat second-placed Melbourne City on Wednesday in the last match of the regular season.
The top-six teams qualify for the playoffs, with Sydney and Melbourne City already confirmed as the top-two finishers who will automatically advance to the semi-finals.
Besart Berisha opened the scoring for Western United in the 21st minute before Adam Le Fondre's header made it 1-1 in the 52nd.
Lustica then gave Western United their sixth win in their last seven games, which includes four of their five matches since the season resumed last month following the COVID-19 shutdown in March.
Steve Corica's side, who wrapped up a fourth Premier's Plate three weeks ago as the top-finishers in the regular season, are mired in something of a slump as they enter the playoffs.
They have won just one of their six games since the season resumed, a 3-1 victory over the Wellington Phoenix in their first game back.
The Phoenix currently occupy third place in the table, with the Brisbane Roar in fourth and Perth Glory rounding out the top six.
(Reporting by Greg Stutchbury in Wellington; Editing by Pritha Sarkar)
