Sydney FC remains the team to beat in the inaugural National Youth League competition, with the young Sky Blues maintaining a six point buffer at the top of the table after claiming a hard-fought 1-all draw in Sunday afternoon’s clash with the Queensland Roar.
Sydney FC remains the team to beat in the inaugural National Youth League competition, with the young Sky Blues maintaining a six point buffer at the top of the table after claiming a hard-fought 1-all draw in Sunday afternoon-s clash with the Queensland Roar.
The competition pace-setters have endured a rare rough patch in recent weeks, claiming only two points from their last three outings, but Steve O-Connor-s young charges will take plenty out of the round-17 result, having held on to share the spoils, despite being reduced to ten men mid-way through the second half.
After a scoreless first period the match came to life after half time with Queensland-s Isaka Cernak and Sydney-s Robbie Mileski cancelling the other out with goals in the 59th and 64th minutes respectively.
Having just equalised, the visitors were dealt a blow one minute later when Luke Austin received his marching orders after receiving a second yellow card, but the junior Blues showed plenty of character to hold off their nearest rivals for the remainder of the match and maintain their comfortable lead in the race for the minor premiership.
Sydney-s youth team will be determined to return to the winners list and take a step closer to securing its spot in the Grand Final when it faces the struggling Newcastle Jets next Saturday afternoon at Cromer Park in Dee Why.
Click Here to read a full report on the National Youth League page of the Hyundai A-League website.
Match Detail
Queensland Roar 1 (Isaka Cernak 59′)
Sydney FC 1 (Robbie Mileski 64′)
Queensland Roar: 1.Matthew ACTON (gk), 2.Bradley McDONALD, 3.Isaka CERNAK, 4.David, DODD (OA), 8.Michael RYAN (12.Michael ANGUS 60-), 10.Adam SAROTA, 11.Tommy OAR, 13.Chris GROSSMAN (5.Jordan FARINA 60-), 14.Ben GRIFFIN (OA) (6.Matthew MUNDY 60-), 15.William TUMUSIIME (c), 16.Tim SMITS (OA).
Substitutes not used: nil.
Yellow Cards: David Dodd 27′, Tim Smits 85′.
Red Cards: nil.
Goals: Isaka Cernak 59′.
Sydney FC: 20.Vedran JANJETOVIC (gk), 2.Luke AUSTIN, 3.Adam BIDDLE (10.Adam CASEY (OA) 45-), 5.Mitchell PRENTICE (OA), 6.Chris PAYNE, 7.Robbie MILESKI, 8.Antony GOLEC, 11.Bobby PETTA (18.Matthew JURMAN 60-), 12.Ibrahim HAYDAR, 13.Sam MUNRO, 14.Beau BUSCH (OA) (15.Matthew HALL 60-).
Substitute not used: nil.
Yellow Cards: Mitchell Prentice 16′, Luke Austin 23’/65′, Sam Munro 67′.
Red Cards: Luke Austin 65′.
Goals: Robbie Mileski 64′.
Referee: Jarred Gillett.
