Western Sydney Wanderers won just one W-League match last season. On Friday night, they won their second-straight match, beating the Newcastle Jets to double last season’s win tally after just the first two rounds!

Their frenzied clash at Bankwest Stadium saw three highly controversial decisions – one deciding the match – and that wasn’t the end of the drama, as the game was forced to be halted for half an hour by nearby lightning.

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The first decision was the worst – easily the most blatant of the three. The Wanderers were dominating possession and territory in the opening half-hour, but failed to hit the back of the net from many chances.

It took a thirty minute intervention, thanks to stormy conditions, to save the Jets.

Upon the match’s resumption, star American import Lynn Williams, off the back of another prolific goalscoring campaign in the States, ran onto the end of a low cross to the back post and buried the simple finish.

Then the lineswoman raised the flag for off-side, leaving Williams (and us) absolutely shocked. The striker – on debut no less – was clearly onside at the time of the pass.

But there is no video referee facility in the W-League, so the howler could not be overturned.

In the aftermath, a trio of Matildas teammates took to social media in disbelief. Alanna Kennedy tweeted a face-palm emoji, before Steph Catley replied “So so so so bad”.

Then Sam Kerr replied “One thing I won’t miss” – having just announced she’s signed with Chelsea instead of playing the W-League this campaign.

One thing I won’t miss 👀👀 — Sam Kerr (@samkerr1) November 22, 2019

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The pendulum swung the other way after a half-hour intermission thanks to lightning in the area, with the referee awarding a controversial penalty to the Wanderers.

With the match still goalless, yet another attacking foray into the Newcastle defensive area saw a cross whipped in from out wide deflect into the arm of Jets’ midfielder Clare Wheeler.

The referee had little hesitation in blowing the whistle for a penalty, as Wheeler was writhing on the ground in pain. But it wasn’t her arm that was hurting – it was her ribs, because the ball had slammed into her midriff at the same time (or potentially just before) it hit her arm.

The Jets argued the case, but without VAR to review, the decision stood.

Matildas midfielder Amy Harrison, having made the swap from rivals Sydney to the Wanderers in the off-season, buried the penalty. It would be the only goal of the match.

With the Jets pushing hard for an equaliser in the latter stages of the match, the refereeing team made a third intriguing intervention. Newcastle winger Teigan Collister streamed down the sideline in pursuit of a long ball, before Wanderers keeper Abby Smith came out and booted the ball away.

In the follow through of the clearance, Smith’s studs slammed into Collister’s knee, leaving her requiring concerted medical attention. Collister was substituted, before the referee left fans in shock when the match was set to be resumed.

The decision to allow play to continue after the collision was overturned, with Smith conceding a free-kick and receiving a yellow card.

It appeared the referee had seen replays on the stadium broadcast screens and changed her mind.

It was a bizarre sequence of events that left the Wanderers stunned. Luckily, they hold on for the final ten minutes and a well-deserved victory.