Sydney FC have held off a spirited Newcastle Jets to record a vital victory to keep the hunt for the Premier’s Plate alive. The match ended in a 4-3 thriller and saw the lead change hands on three occasions.
Enver Alivodic superbly chipped Vedran Janjetovic to give the Jets the lead midway through the first-half. They kept that lead heading into the break but it did not take long for Sydney to turn the match in their favour. Captain Alex Brosque replicated last week’s feat, scoring a brace either side of a Bernie Ibini goal to give the Sky Blues a 3-1 lead after 56 minutes.
Max Burgess joined the Hunter side from Sydney last month and he came back to haunt his old teammates, combining well with Andrew Hoole who teed up Edson Montano to give the Red and Blue a chance of salvaging a draw. Hoole, who will join Sydney from next season, then went on to win and convert a penalty to level proceedings a 3-3.
That would not be the last of the action, however. A Sebastian Ryall cross caught out the Newcastle defence that allowed Shane Smeltz a free header to assist fellow substitute Robert Stambolziev for the winner with just over 10 minutes to spare.
Formations
Phil Stubbins went with an unchanged starting XI to the side that defeated Melbourne Victory last week. Ben Kantarovski was named in the squad but was omitted from the team entirely. Daniel Mullen started for the side just after re-signing with the club until 2017.
Newcastle Jets starting XI (4-3-3): Kennedy (GK); Cowburn, Regan, Mullen, Ki-je; Pepper, Welsh, Cooper; Alivodic, Montano, Hoole
Nikola Petkovic was a late omission from the Sydney side, but Graham Arnold had a handy replacement, bringing in youngster Alex Gersbach.
Sydney FC starting XI (4-2-3-1): Janjetovic (GK); Ryall, Jurman, Faty, Gersbach; Dimitrijevic, Grant; Ibini, Brosque, Naumoff; Janko
Front three interchanges trouble Sydney
All three of Newcastle’s goals came from a patient build up by their attacking players, particularly the three men furthest forward, Alivodic, Montano and Hoole. This has been something the team has obviously been working on at training as it is not the first week these three have combined together, but last night the game plan finally came to fruition.
Sydney go long in search of goals
Sydney FC threw everything in their arsenal at Newcastle last night, but the most part, despite the goals they conceded, the stubborn defence held firm. The central partnership of Daniel Mullen and Taylor Regan was under constant fire as the Sky Blues tried their luck from the left and right-flank, through the middle, in the air and along the ground. The exposed Newcastle’s defence in the events leading to the goals which is a testament to their diligence and persistency.
Half-time talk sparks Sky Blues
Whatever Graham Arnold said to his team at half-time was just the motivation Sydney needed to claim maximum points. They were wasteful in the first half, not even the competition’s leading goal scorer could find the back of the net, but his side came from the break looking like a different demon and netted thrice in the opening 11 minutes to take back control of the game.
Newcastle Jets conclusion
The 2007/08 champions have restored some pride in the past few weeks and have shown a glimpse of what they are capable of when they put their troubles behind them. Their low position on the ladder again allowed them to play without high expectations and caused complacency for their opponents. It may be too little too late for this season but it is a step in the right direction for the troubled club
Sydney FC conclusion
Graham Arnold will not be happy about conceding three goals. They will need to work on strengthening their defence before they travel to Wellington to face the Phoenix in what could decide a position in the top two. They have now gone 13 games undefeated on the road this season. If they do not lose that match they will break Brisbane’s record of fewest away losses in a campaign, a record set back in 2010/11.
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