Western United have celebrated their first home match in Tarneit over the weekend, as their women’s team lost 3-1 to Newcastle Jets.
Around two thousand fans were in attendance at the venue which received generally positive reviews.
There were issues with transport to the venue noted by some though. Although shuttle buses were arranged from train stations in the area, many fans opted to travel to the Melbourne exclave by car.
Fans reported long lines to drive into and out of the venue despite less than half its capacity in use for the game. Fans were also shocked to find parking fees were required, despite no reported communication of such.
Although the temporary stands were not yet ready for use, fans in attendance enjoyed a fun atmosphere which included Brazilian drummers and the chance to explore the permanent stand.
The facility is intended to become the club’s full time training base and is only intended to host A-League games temporarily while the club’s 15,000 seat main stadium is built on the nearby plot of land.
There is no confirmation as to when the Men’s team will play an official home match out of the venue, but it is expected by some to occur sometime this season.
Three of Western United’s final men’s games this season are home matches with no designated venues, each representing potential hosting opportunities for the new Regional Football Facility.
The Game
The surprise loss saw Western United drop to second on the A-League Women’s ladder.
Newcastle had the honour of scoring the first goal at the new facility through Libby Copus-Brown in the 4th minute, before Medwin equalised for Western United in the 20th minute.
It was not to be though for Western United, as Newcastle went on to score in the the 21st and 66th minutes to secure the upset result.
The Beautiful Game 