Melbourne Victory 1 Western Sydney Wanderers 1: Riera penalty miss proves costly

Oriol Riera’s penalty miss cost Western Sydney Wanderers all three points at the Etihad Stadium on Monday as Melbourne Victory earned a 1-1 draw.

Riera had given the visitors the lead just after the half hour in Melbourne as he converted a slick move involving Raul Llorente and Alvaro Cejudo with a neat header.

However, the striker missed a spot kick in the closing minutes of the first period after being made to wait by a VAR decision on whether referee Peter Green had made the right call.

The official was vindicated and perpetrator Rhys Williams was duly booked but, after a three-minute wait, Riera could not punish him further as Lawrence Thomas saved down to his right.

45′ SAVED! @lawrencet92 steps up with a huge save #MVCvWSW 0-1 #ALeague

— Melbourne Victory (@gomvfc) November 6, 2017

Ultimately it cost the Wanderers as Thomas Deng headed home his first league goal after the restart, the defender powering in Leroy George’s pinpoint delivery.

Both sides had chances to win it with Jumpei Kusukami and Roly Bonevacia going closest for Hayden Foxe’s Wanderers, but the winless Victory held on to earn a third point of the campaign.