Coach Marko Rudan has lashed out at match officials after Tom Beadling was sent off in Western Sydney’s 4-3 defeat to local rivals Macarthur FC.
Beadling was banished for a dangerous tackle on Uli Davila in the 52nd minute at Campbelltown Sports Stadium on Sunday night before the Bulls’ French striker Valere Germain completed a hat-trick to seal the win.
English-born midfielder Beadling had taken the Macarthur skipper to ground with a challenge from behind.
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Afterwards, Rudan unleashed a tirade on referee Adam Kersey and VAR official Alex King, criticising their decision to allow Germain to stay on the pitch while sending Beadling off.
Germain had escaped being shown a card after brandishing his studs against Beadling in the 22nd minute, in what Rudan claimed was a more egregious foul.
“There is an absolute stigma attached to my football club. It’s clear for all to see,” Rudan said.
“For the life of me, how Germain stays on the pitch when he kicks at my player in that first half – I have absolutely no idea.
“When it’s a retaliation, it’s a clear red.”
With Macarthur down 2-3 after two headers from Lachlan Brook and a goal to Nicolas Milanovic, Germain produced a brilliant retort with a header of his own to equalise before the main break.
After a tight second half, the 33-year-old then had the last laugh with the match-winner – again from his head – three minutes into added time.
A livid Wanderers goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas – playing less than 24 hours after arriving from the Socceroos’ Asian Cup campaign in Qatar – argued the ball had not crossed the line.
“The message to us (from VAR) was ‘not enough angles to see if the ball was over the line for the winner’. Come on,” Rudan said.
“I congratulate Macarthur for their three points, but the game could have been so much different had the referee done his job properly.
“The whole game changes if he actually makes the right decision.
Wanderers head coach Marko Rudan protests to the referee after full time of the A-League match between Macarthur FC and Western Sydney. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
“We walk away with nothing even though we deserve to have something.”
Macarthur are now undefeated in six games and have leapfrogged their cross-city rivals to fourth place.
Germain was the architect of the Wanderers’ undoing, slotting the opening goal from the spot in the 18th minute after Beadling handballed.
Brook had crashed celebrations just two minutes after Germain’s opener with his first goal before Milanovic added the visitors’ second in the 28th minute.
Bulls star Raphael then took matters into his own hands with an individual goal in the 31st minute, outmanoeuvring opponents Tate Russell, Jack Clisby and Beadling to level scores again.
The dogged Brook completed his double in the 42nd minute but it was then Germain’s turn to crash the Wanderers’ party.
Asked whether he took issue with the match officiating, Macarthur coach Mile Sterjovski played a straight bat.
“Every decision was correct in the game, every decision,” he said.
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