3 minute read

A snapshot of the 16th round of the A-League Men where Western Sydney, Western United and Central Coast grabbed wins.

THEY SAID IT: "The ladder never lies. I'm not gonna sit here and make any excuses. Right now we're the worst team in the league based on the ladder and we don't want to be there" - Brisbane Roar coach Warren Moon after their defeat to Central Coast.

MAN OF THE WEEK: Leo Lacroix hasn't made a habit of scoring goals in his short time in the A-League Men, but the Western United defender grabbed two against Newcastle to ensure they cemented their place in top spot with a 2-1 win.

BEAT THAT: Central Coast's Nicolai Muller's perfect free-kick in their 2-1 win over Brisbane. The German got the ball over the wall from a tight angle and dipped it past Jordan Holmes in the Brisbane goal.

STAT ATTACK: Sydney FC have now lost three straight for the first time in nine years following Saturday's 2-0 derby loss to Western Sydney.

TALKING POINT: Wellington's fixture congestion is going to make their run-in difficult for coach Ufuk Talay to work his magic. Wellington's game against Melbourne City was postponed on Sunday due to rain and the Phoenix now have 14 games to squeeze in before April 29 when the regular season is due to finish.

UNDER PRESSURE: It's hard to look past Sydney FC. They have played without penetration and a cutting edge all season and Saturday's defeat was compounded by the loss of Elvis Kamsoba to a knee injury. Steve Corica needs to change something quickly as the Sky Blues have an AFC Champions League qualifier on Tuesday before facing league leaders Western United on Friday.

UP NEXT: There are a trio of midweek games with Central Coast hosting Melbourne Victory, Macarthur travel to Melbourne City and Wellington face off against Newcastle.