United were 5-3 and they were not going to squander the advantage a second time, the game finishing with eight goals and the green and black in the ascendancy.

Diamanti's exquisite goal early in the second put United 3-0 up and it seemed the cherry on the top in a game in which he had pulled the strings in the middle of the field for Mark Rudan's men.

But the Wanderers, who looked dead and buried, showed extraordinary resilience to pull back three goals as United's nerve and resolve seemed to collapse.

First it was captain Mitch Duke who gave them hope, and then a beautifully executed back heel by substitute Mourdoukoutas put them right back in the game.

And inside the last 10 minutes Duke stepped up again to lash home an equaliser.

In the end Rudan's side was clinging on for dear life against a resurgent Wanderers who knew their season would be finished with a defeat.

United did enough and showed plenty of character, but should not have found themselves in that position. They now have 33 points, two less than Adelaide and four less than Perth, who play Melbourne Victory on Saturday. But the Victorian side has two games in hand of the Reds and one in hand of Glory, so they remain in control of their own fate.

On a sodden surface with the rain lashing down both teams could have been forgiven for taking a cautious approach until they at least found their feet.

But starting slowly was the last thing on Western United's mind, so swiftly did they get into the groove.

While Western Sydney looked leaden and out of sorts, Western were completely at home – like a horse who can act on a heavy track while his rivals flounder.

Burgess and Connor Pain linked well on the left flank right from the first moments – a signal for what was to come through the opening 45 minutes in which Rudan's team was almost completely dominant.

Western had already threatened the Wanderers' goal a number of times before midfielder Steven Lustica came close to opening the scoring in the fifth minute, his shot from a Josh Risdon cross thundering back from the crossbar.

But Western did not have to wait long for a reward - just one minute, in fact, and it was Pain and Burgess who created the chance by playing a one-two on the left before Burgess crossed.

Josh Risdon drifted across to the centre from the right and rose, unchallenged, to head home from close range.

Diamanti found Risdon with a beautifully weighted pass to allow the Socceroo wing back to turn provider.

Risdon sent over a low skidding cross which the ageless Besart Berisha prodded home from close range to notch his 15th goal of the season.

Diamanti was in his element in the middle of the park, spraying passes around, hitting crossfield balls and sliding passes through to the wide men as they charged forward.

It wasn't until the last five minutes of the opening period that Wanderers looked at all threatening, but Kurto was able to save from Duke and then Yeboah.

Any hope that Wanderers had of saving this game seemed to evaporate seven minutes after the restart, and it was an audacious piece of wizardry by Diamanti that sealed all three points.

Picking the ball up on the left the Italian advanced into the Wanderers penalty area and caressed a shot with the outside of his left boot which rose, dipped, moved in the air and then evaded Prendergast's desperate punch to go into the goal's top left hand corner.