Sydney FC beat Perth amid video ref drama

Oct 27, 2017 - 11:46 AM It was another week, another video assistant referee (VAR) controversy as a four-minute-long penalty decision overshadowed Sydney FC's 2-0 A-League win over Perth.

Bobo and substitute Adrian Mierzejewski scored the goals from the spot in a game in which the Sky Blues were awarded three penalties.

With the paint from last weekend's bitter Brisbane fallout barely dry, Friday night's drama set the scene for more criticism of the contentious new technology.

Five minutes before halftime at Allianz Stadium, Glory defender Joseph Mills was adjudged to have handled in the box after the ball cannoned off his arm while it was behind his back.

The decision seemingly made, Bobo stood on the spot ready to take his shot -- his second for the night, having missed an earlier penalty.

There he remained facing off with Perth goalkeeper Liam Reddy for almost a minute before referee Shaun Evans eventually signalled a VAR review had been called by video assistant Strebre Delovski.

At the outset of the VAR's implementation for last season's finals, Football Federation Australia predicted the average decision would be made within 30 seconds.

This one took nearly four minutes from the moment Evans pointed to the spot until the final VAR decision.

By then, Kenny Lowe had lost patience and the Glory coach briefly stormed off down the tunnel as Sydney counterpart Graham Arnold remonstrated with the fourth official.

"Very ordinary," Lowe said.

"What can I say? I can't say anything, can I? We're making a mockery of a lovely game."

When the original call was finally upheld, Bobo fired his spot-kick into the bottom left corner.

"That's why it's there," Arnold said.

"It's something everyone needs to get used to. That's probably the longest we've had to wait for a decision."

Early in the match, Andrew Redmayne's superb save denied a Diego Castro free-kick and Bobo blazed an easy shot a whisker high and wide.

With Polish star Mierzejewski on the bench, David Carney started for a second week running and provided quality service.

Carney snagged a penalty after a push in the back from Mills, only for Bobo to hit the crossbar in a sign this just wasn't the Brazilian's night.

Sydney lifted, their near 70 per cent possession bearing fruit as Jordy Buijs and Milos Ninkovic ran riot and Luke Wilkshire was twice denied by Reddy within a minute.

Thanks to Bobo's penalty, the Sky Blues took a 1-0 lead and 15-shots-to-three advantage into halftime.

After the break, Sydney pushed for a second and Carney found Bobo but Reddy, by far Perth's best performer, came off his line with purpose.

Mitch Nichols, playing his first game for Glory after his four-match drug ban, came closest to stealing an equaliser but was denied by a brilliant Reddy save.

With the game in the bag, Torres was shown yellow for bringing down Ninkovic in the box and Mierzejewski stroked home from the spot.

Source: AAP