Western Sydney Wanderers end Sydney FC's unbeaten A-League run in derby showdown
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Western Sydney have sent Sydney FC to their first A-League defeat this season, shocking the runaway leaders 1-0 to claim their maiden derby win in more than three years.
Thirty-seven months after Brendon Santalab scored the winner in the Wanderers' last cross-town victory, the veteran striker set the stands alight on Saturday night with a 26th-minute opener that was never answered at Stadium Australia.
Santalab's was a remarkable moment of composure in an open, at times frenetic, affair peppered with penalty claims and tempers that continued after the final whistle.
One in particular will be scrutinised heavily when, at the death and with tensions at boiling point, Robbie Cornthwaite hung out a leg that hauled down Sydney skipper Alex Brosque in the box.
The Sky Blues conceded after missing several early chances when Mitch Nichols jinked in a cross off a questionable corner.
Santalab feigned a first touch and patiently waited for a scrambling Bobo to slide past, before turning one-on-one with Danny Vukovic and burying with ease.
The striker played hero and villain on a controversial night, depending which camp the 44,843-strong crowd were in.
Back in the starting line-up after last week's surprise benching against Central Coast, the 34-year-old was the perpetrator of numerous reckless tackles but somehow didn't make it into referee Chris Beath's book until the 75th minute.
He made his presence known from kickoff with a late studs-up challenge on Vukovic, before a bicycle-kick attempt landed straight in Brandon O'Neill's face.
Late in the first half, a clumsy challenge on Milos Ninkovic in Sydney's box prompted a penalty shout, though Ninkovic was ruled to have handballed as the Serb collapsed to the turf.
The Sky Blues' discipline dissolved after the break and it was only an out-of-nowhere clearance from Michael Zullo that stopped Nichols skinning the entire backline and doubling the deficit.
Searching for a quick injection of pace and power, Arnold introduced Bernie Ibini just before the hour mark and almost immediately was robbed a goalmouth finish by Jack Clisby.
Graham Arnold was livid as another penalty shout came and went, though replays suggested Nichols had been going in for a header when the ball collected him on the arm.
Soon after, tempers flared as a foul on Ninkovic sparked an all-in melee and gave way to a frantic final 20 minutes during which Vukovic twice kept Sydney in the game and Vedran Janjetovic made a superb double save to deny former teammate Bobo from point-blank range.
AAP
