On Tuesday night, Sky Park, Sydney’s brand new Centre of Excellence hosted its first match as local NPL outfit Manly United took on Sydney FC in their first match of the pre-season.
In the shortened 60 minute match, both teams found the net a number of times with the Sky Blues running out 5-3 winners on the night.
A regular fixture each season, Sydney FC started a strong side with a mix of youth and experience with Aaron Gurd paired alongside Jack Rodwell at the back and Luke Brattan playing with Corey Hollman in the middle.
New signing Nathan Amanatidis also got his first minutes in Sky Blue and began on the wing with Pat Wood up front and Jaiden Kucharski on the other side.
Early in the 60 minute match, Sydney FC took the lead through a Pat Wood penalty and were unlucky not to be two or three ahead before Manly United pegged them back from a corner routine with their first attempt on target.
Back up the other end and Jaiden Kucharski was denied a penalty shout before Aaron Gurd headed home from a Luke Brattan free-kick to reinstate Sydney FC’s lead.
Again, against the run of play, Manly United scored through Harry McCarthy and the Sky Blues looked to regain the ascendancy with Anthony Caceres ensuring they held the lead as they changed ends after 45 minutes of play, with a tidy finish past the United keeper.
The 45 minute mark brought a number of changes with the likes of Adrian Segecic, Hayden Matthews, Adam Pavlesic, Mitch Glasson, Zac De Jesus and Matty Scarcella receiving minutes in the shortened 60 minute match.
In the remaining 15 minutes of play, Mitch Glasson volleyed home after an Adrian Segecic attempt was parried into his path before he doubled his tally for the night from a Zac De Jesus cross in between a Manly United drive from distance that found the net.
The Sydney FC youngsters combined well across the park with Matty Scarcella picking up the ball in good areas, De Jesus looking to provide going forward and Glasson finishing off the chances that were presented to him.
Overall for Steve Corica, he will be pleased with how the mix of youth and experience coped with a strong NPL outfit that put four goals past leaders APIA Leichhardt on Saturday evening.
Sydney FC (Wood 10′, Gurd 25′, Caceres 36′, Glasson 52′, 55′) 5 – 3 Manly United (Aganovic 18′, McCarthy 28′, M. Lal 53′)
Line-Up
Sydney FC
REDMAYNE, KING, RODWELL, GURD, GIRDWOOD-REICH, BRATTAN, HOLLMAN, KUCHARSKI, AMANATIDIS, CACERES, WOOD.
Subs: PAVLESIC, MATTHEWS, DE JESUS, SCARCELLA, SEGECIC, GLASSON
Manly United
FERGUSON, KOOP, MENDES, ROSE, RAINBIRD, AGANOVIC, KAYE, BELKADI, MCCARTHY, ELLIOT, HILLYER
Subs: PAULL, SANTICH, BURDEN, BISHOP, PELLE, M. LAL, ASHTON, MASON, MILLS, PENGELLY, ROSSELLO, SHAHEEN, PARTINGTON
