Western Sydney Wanderers say they won't choke heading into business end of the A-League season

POISED to complete one of the most remarkable sporting triumphs of recent years, Wanderers coach Tony Popovic has scorned suggestions Western Sydney could let the Premier's Plate slip through premature celebration.
Two points ahead of the Mariners after Saturday's dramatic 1-0 win at Bluetongue Stadium, Western Sydney could extend their lead when they face bottom-placed Wellington on Sunday, 24 hours after Central Coast have to travel to Sydney FC.
While Mariners boss Graham Arnold insisted there were "plenty of twists and turns to go", with four rounds left, Wanderers have a fairytale first-season title in their own hands thanks to an eighth consecutive win - equalling the Melbourne Victory's A-League.
After Wellington, Popovic's side must travel to Melbourne Heart, host Sydney FC in the season's concluding derby and finish with a trip to Newcastle.
The Mariners by contrast follow Sydney FC by travelling to Japan for an Asian Champions League game, hosting Brisbane, then Adelaide away and finishing with a home fixture against Heart.
Despite seeming to hold the whip hand, Popovic almost took offence at the idea his side might assume the Premier's Plate was theirs for the taking.
"Every week you ask me the same thing (about) will they (the players) get complacent?" Popovic said.
"Eight wins in a row shows they're not getting complacent and they certainly won't be next week.
"That doesn't guarantee a result against Wellington but I can guarantee you they'll be well prepared for that game."
The result also means the Wanderers and Mariners will finish one and two in one order or the other, earning a weekend's rest in the first round of the finals and a subsequent home final in the second round.
But having targeted a second consecutive Premier's Plate and leading the competition for 15 rounds, Arnold was left bitterly disappointed after one of the most memorable A-League nights at Bluetongue, in front of a crowd of 18,271 including several thousand raucous Wanderers supporters who braved hours of drenching rain.
The Mariners missed a golden chance to take their lead by fluffing a fourth consecutive penalty. This time goalkeeper Mat Ryan was bizarrely selected to take the kick but fired his shot straight at Ante Covic.
Instead, a late breakaway goal by Labinot Haliti ensured Western Sydney became the first side other than Brisbane Roar to win at the Mariners' home ground since back in December 2010.
"There's a lot of twists and turns to go. There's four tough games for everyone," Arnold said, insisting that the pressure is now on Western Sydney to maintain their composure at the summit.
"If you don't score when you're dominating you're vulnerable. It's a hard lesson to learn, but it's a lesson we've got to learn and we've got to move forward - simple."
There is little time for his side to mope, as the Mariners prepare to face Kashiwa Reysol in Japan on March 13. They are likely to return to Australia only on Friday March 15, two days before the game against Brisbane Roar.
Arnold suggested there would be an inquest into the penalty hoodoo his side has developed, with misses in their last three games from Daniel McBreen, Nick Montgomery and now Ryan.
"If you've got goalscorers out there, they should be the ones who want to take it," Arnold said.
"It's probably gotten to the stage where you've got to designate someone specifically now and he has to take that responsibility.
"Even if he misses he backs up and does the next one."

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