Western Sydney took a 3-0 lead into half-time in their clash with Central Coast on Saturday afternoon – but it could have been worse for the Mariners had a penalty been awarded to the Wanderers for a first-half incident.
Mariners defender Brian Kaltak was at the centre of the controversy when he accidentally stood on the left ankle of Wanderers forward Bozhidar Kraev as the Bulgarian looked to break into space in the penalty box.
Nicolas Milanovic had played a through ball into Kraev’s path and, while looking at the ball carrier, Kaltak landed his foot on Kraev’s to send him tumbling to ground.
Referee Adam Kersey elected not to give a penalty, and the on-field referee was not instructed to review the incident on the pitch-side monitor – a decision from VAR labelled as “unfathomable” by A-Leagues commentator Andy Harper.
At half-time, Network 10 pitchside reporter Niav Owens revealed Wanderers coach Alen Stajcic had labelled the incident as “the clearest penalty we’ve had all season” in a conversation with the fourth official.
Owens reported that fourth official Daniel Cook “seemed to reply that the players ran into each other.”
Harper was critical of the officials in the VAR booth for not instructing Kersey to head to the pitchside monitor to review the incident.
“What I find unfathomable, completely and utterly unfathomable is that the guys in the box don’t say: ‘Hey ref, just come and check that you’re comfortable with this’,” Harper said.
“They need to bail him out here. This is not a coming together, this is accidental. Kraev is gone. It’s a deadset, 1000% penalty. But take that out of it, it’s unfathomable – can I say that one more time? Utterly unfathomable that the box didn’t say: ‘Adam, you better come check this – for your own good at least – then we’ll get on with the game’. Unreal.”
