Brett Emerton’s first goal for Sydney FC and a fourth of the season for Nicky Carle weren’t enough to stop the Sky Blues going down to only their second defeat of the season.
Brett Emerton-s first goal for Sydney FC and a fourth of the season for Nicky Carle weren-t enough to stop the Sky Blues going down to only their second defeat of the season.
The home side weren-t able to reproduce their heroic comeback of two weeks ago against Gold Coast United, as they were beaten 3-2 by the Central Coast Mariners at the Sydney Football Stadium.
This visitors opened the scoring four minutes before half-time with one of the goals of the season.
Sydney conceded a free-kick on the edge of their box and when the ball was touched to Patrick Zwaanswijk, the Dutchman rifled a shot into Reddy-s top right hand corner.
Things got even more difficult for Sydney midway through the second half when the Mariners doubled their lead. Amini fed the ball to Bojic on the right of the Sydney penalty area and his cross found McGlinchey in acres of space with time to fire home.
Another Gold Coast-style comeback looked on when Sydney pulled one back with 13 minutes to go. Second half substitute Hiro Moriyasu fed the ball to Kisel who sent Bridge clear.
The striker’s attempted chip over the keeper hit the arm of Pasfield and the ball sat up for Nicky Carle, who was following up, to head into the empty net.
But any thoughts the Sydney fans had of another late win were dashed with nine minutes to go. Mariners striker Matt Simon used his strength inside the penalty box to fend off the challenge of Beauchamp, and when he cut the ball back substitute Troy Hearfield reacted quickest to fire home from six yards.
Sydney weren-t finished however and showed the never say die spirit which has characterised much of their season.
Emerton won a free kick on the edge of the box with three minutes to go and the former Blackburn man stepped up to curl a spectacular right foot shot into the top corner.
Sydney came close to levelling the scores in injury time. A left wing cross found the head of Bruno Cazarine but his looping, goal-bound header was clawed away by the finger tips of Pasfield under pressure from Bridge.
With Sydney-s winning run ended the team heads to Wellington next week before a huge clash with champions Brisbane Roar at Kogarah-s WIN Jubilee Stadium on December 4th, where the boys will look to end the table toppers record run.
Central Coast Mariners 3 (Zwaanswijk -41, McGlinchey -66, Hearfield 81-) d. Sydney FC 2 (Carle -77, Emerton ‘87)
Sydney Football Stadium
Crowd: 13,947
Referee: Strebre Delovski
Sydney FC: 1. Liam Reddy, 3. Jamie Coyne (12. Shannon Cole -60), 4. Pascal Bosschaart, 5. Michael Beauchamp, 7. Brett Emerton, 8. Karol Kisel, 10 Nick Carle, 15. Terry McFlynn (c) (9. Bruno Cazarine ‘45), 17. Terry Antonis (6. Hirofumi Moriyasu ‘73), 19. Mark Bridge, 21. Scott Jamieson.
Sub not used: 20. Ivan Necevski.
Yellow cards: McFlynn ’22, Jamieson ’73, Kisel ‘90 + 3
Red cards: Nil
Central Coast Mariners: 20. Justin Pasfield, 2. Daniel McBreen, (22. Mustafa Amini ‘61), 3. Joshua Rose, 4. Pedj Bojic, 6. Patrick Zwaanswijk, 7. John Hutchinson (10. Adriano Pellegrino ‘85), 8. Rostyn Griffiths, 9. Bernie Ibini (12. Troy Hearfield), 14. Michael McGlinchey, 18. Alex Wilkinson (c), 19. Matthew Simon.
Sub not used: 30. Nathan Denham (gk)
Yellow cards: John Hutchinson ‘22, Griffiths ’84
Red cards: Nil
