Sydney FC dug deep with great character for the second successive week as the club’s new found resilience helped Nick Carle to score a 93rd minute equaliser to snare another valuable point on the road against Melbourne Heart tonight.
Sydney FC dug deep with great character for the second successive week as the club-s new found resilience helped Nick Carle to score a 93rd minute equaliser to snare another valuable point on the road against Melbourne Heart tonight.
Carle bobbed up with a neat late finish to cancel out Melbourne Heart-s 88th minute go-ahead goal and for the second time in two weeks Sydney FC came from behind to grab points away from home with a 1-1 draw.
Carle-s goal came after some desperate last minute surges forward down both flanks saw Pascal Bosschaart find Carle with a deft cross, which the midfielder slid under the despairing dive of Heart goalkeeper Clint Bolton.
It was nothing less than Sydney FC deserved and after a tough four-week start to the season where the Sky Blues have faced Melbourne Victory, Adelaide United and Melbourne Heart on the road and Brisbane Roar at home.
Next week Sydney FC faces Gold Coast at the Sydney Football Stadium at the family-friendly time of 5pm on Sunday.
Sydney FC Coach Viteszlav Lavicka made two changes to the side that defeated Adelaide United last start, reinstating Liam Reddy and Mark Bridge after the pair returned from injury and suspension respectively.
The match was played in driving rain and the first half saw neither team able to get into rhythm although Karol Kiseo did have a good chance midway through the first period.
Sydney FC lost captain Terry McFlynn to a groin injury on 40 minutes and settled after the break with Terry Antonis also coming close with a long range effort before Kisel again had a golden chance but blazed his shot wide from the edge of the penalty area.
With the game heading towards a draw Melbourne Heart took the lead in the 88th minute after replacement Maycon shovelled the ball home following a goalmouth scramble.
But Sydney FC-s resilience and character shone through and Carle levelled the match at 1-1 with what was the last kick of the game.
Sydney FC now switches its attention to the Sydney Football Stadium where it will take on Gold Coast next Sunday with kick off at 5pm.
Sydney FC 1 (Nick Carle 90+4) drew Melbourne Heart 1 (Maycon 88)
AAMI Park
Crowd: 5,666
Referee: Chris Beath
Sydney FC: 1. Liam Reddy, 3. Jamie Coyne, 4. Pascal Bosschaart, 5. Michael Beauchamp, 7. Brett Emerton , 8. Karol Kisel, 10 Nick Carle, 15. Terry McFlynn (23. Rhyan Grant ‘40), 17. Terry Antonis, 19. Mark Bridge (9. Bruno Cazarine ‘69), 21. Scott Jamieson.
Subs not used: 2. Sebastian Ryall and 20. Ivan Necevski
Yellow cards: Terry Antonis 1, Jamie Coyne 59, Nick Carle 63.
Red cards: Nil
Melbourne Heart: 1. Clint Bolton, 2. Michael Marrone, 4. Simon Colosimo, 6. Matt Thompson, 10. Wayne Srhoj (9. Maycon ‘77), 11. Alex Terra (3. Brendan Hamill ‘88), 13. Jonatan Germano, 15. David Williams (17. Jason Hoffman ‘41), 16. Aziz Behich, 18. Curtis Good, 23. Mate Dugandzic.
Sub not used: 30. Sebastian Mattei (gk)
Yellow cards: Matthew Thompson 8, Wayne Shroj 38, Simon Colosimo 60, Maycon 88, Behich 90+2)
Red cards: Nil
