Sydney FC has continued its unbeaten start to the National Youth League season with exciting young striker, Kerim Bulut despatching two second-half penalties to steer his side to a well-earned 2-nil win over the Newcastle Jets in Sunday’s clash at the Sydney Football Stadium.
Sydney FC has continued its unbeaten start to the National Youth League season with exciting young striker, Kerim Bulut despatching two second-half penalties to steer his side to a well-earned 2-nil win over the Newcastle Jets in Sunday-s clash at the Sydney Football Stadium.
Bulut-s brace from the spot – in the 72nd and 86th minutes – proved to be the difference in a closely contested match.
The hosts- first scoring chance came in the 16th minute when forward, Hussein Akil-s low drive across the front of the net found Bulut-s foot, but the Number 9-s touch could only send the ball rolling wide of the left post.
In the 25th minute, the two forwards again caused distress in the Newcastle area. Akil-s cross from the right found Bulut but his header was tipped onto the crossbar by goalkeeper Dion Shaw.
Newcastle nearly opened the scoring in the 41st minute when midfielder Damian Brosque, younger sibling of Sydney-s Alex, slid a ball through to Mirjan Pavlovic. The latter forcing a diving save to the right from Sky Blues- custodian Nenad Vekic before Brosque sprayed the rebound wide to the left.
A minute before the break, Jets- forward Matthew Sim dribbled past the defence on the right side of the home side-s penalty box but fired into the side netting from close range.
Chances were few for either side following the restart, but Pavlovic had a great opportunity to give Newcastle the lead soon after the resumption. He stole the ball from the feet of Vekic as the goalkeeper was trying to punt the ball upfield, but his attempt sailed well over the bar.
The match came to life late when Bulut found space at the top of the area and was about to let fly when he was tripped from behind with 20 minutes left to play. He slotted the resulting spot kick past Shaw to put Sydney 1-0 up.
The same player also earned the hosts- second penalty kick of the afternoon fifteen minutes later when he was impeded in the area while fighting for a header. This time Bulut confidently dinked the ball past Shaw for his second – sealing what already looked a certain win for Sydney FC.
Having made the perfect start to their title defence at home the Junior Sky Blues hit the road next weekend. They play the Brisbane Roar next Saturday before returning home to host the Central Coast Mariners on the October long weekend.
Match Detail
Sydney FC 2 (Bulut 72-/86-)
Newcastle Jets 0
Sydney FC: 1. Nenad VEKIC (gk), 2. Steven TIBBETS, 3. Mitchell SPEER, 7. Dimitrios PETRATOS, 8. Hussein AKIL, 9. Kerim BULUT, 11. Iain RAMSAY (4. Samuel CHAPPLE 57-), 13. Joel CHIANESE, 14. Timothy MCGOWAN, 15. Raymond MILLER, 17. Luke AUSTIN.
Substitutes not used: 20. Mark PULLMAN (gk) .
Yellow Cards: Hussein AKIL 30-.
Red Cards: nil.
Goals: Kerim BULUT 71-/86-.
Newcastle Jets: 1. Dion SHAW (gk) (20. Robbie KOLAK 89-), 2. Jarrad ROSS, 3. Mario SIMIC, 4. Brodie MOOY, 5. Scott BALDERSON, 6. Taylor REGAN, 7. William ANGEL (13. Fabian IACOVELLI 55-), 8. Damian BROSQUE, 9. Mirjan Pavlovic (7. William ANGEL 88-), 10. Adrian KARAKOLEVSKI (12. Jesse PINTO 59-), 11. Matthew SIM.
Substitutes not used: nil.
Yellow Cards: Mirjan PAVLOVIC 64-.
Red Cards: nil.
Goals: nil.
Referee: Kris Griffiths-Jones.
