SYDNEY FC STARTS WITH EMPHATIC 6-1 WIN OVER MANLY
Wednesday, 6 April, 2005 – 12:39PM
Sydney FC started its football history in fine fashion with an emphatic 6-1 victory over NSW Premier League outfit Manly United at Cromer Park tonight.
Led by striker Saso Petrovski and former Everton midfielder David Carney, Sydney FC were awesome early and sprinted to a 4-0 lead after just 30 minutes.
Winger Robbie Middleby had the distinction of scoring the first ever Sydney FC goal when he struck a sweet left foot drive from the edge of the penalty area after just six minutes after some good lead up work by the ever dangerous Petrovski.
Seven minutes later Petrovski turned from provider to finisher when he met a Carney corner at the far post and crashed a strong header into the roof of the net.
Carney produced his own moment of magic in the 25th minute when he swung a corner from the right hand side straight into the goal to give Sydney FC a 3-0 lead.
Former Socceroo Matthew Bingley then scored the goal of the game with a crunching right foot volley from 25m that flew into the top corner of the goal in the 32nd minute. The shot came after Middleby made ground down the left flank, crossed to Petrovski, who laid the ball into the Bingley’s path and he finished in fine style.
Manly did pull a goal back before the half time break when former Parramatta Power and Northern Spirit midfielder Bradley Groves hit a sweet shot from the far post that flew under the body of Sydney FC goalkeeper Justin Pasfield.
After the break Sydney FC continued to dominate with Carney, Petrovski and Bingley particularly strong in attack and the defence, led by Mark Rudan and Iain Fyfe, was rarely tested.
Bingley scored the fifth Sydney FC goal in the 68th minute when he was the first to pounce on a loose ball in the penalty area and swept the ball home from just 3m to make it 5-1.
Former Northern Ireland U23 captain Terry McFlynn rounded out the scoring in the 83rd minute when he finished neatly from 6m following more good work by Petrovski, who was a constant thorn in Manly’s side all evening.
After the game, Sydney FC coach Pierre Littbarski was more than pleased with Sydney FC’s first hit out, particularly the way the team worked together.
“I thought today was very good for us,” Littbarski said. “We played some good football and did a lot of things well. We are still not in great physical shape but we kept the ball very well and we scored some good goals. We scored six goals in our first match and if someone had told me that before the match I would have been happy.
“I watched them (Manly United) play last week and I was a little worried because they are sharp and it was our first match but we played well and it is a good start. We still have a lot of work to do.”
