Sydney FC’s Foxtel National Youth League squad have fallen 2-1 to the Newcastle Jets in a pulsating encounter at Lambert Park on Sunday night.
The Sky Blues took an early lead in an end to end opening 45 minutes with Christopher Naumoff latching on to a great slide ball from Alex Mullen to calmly dispatch into the net for the first strike of the game.
Continued pressure from the Sky Blues was overcome by the Jets as Brandon Lundy restored parity eight minutes later as he slid in at the far post to tap into an empty net.
The pace of the match didn’t abate as both sides continued to threaten, with Robert Stambolziev seeing a free header saved as Alex Mullen exerted control over the Sky Blues midfield.
Anthony Bouzanis was forced into a sharp saved as the half wore on, tipping over a powerful drive from Lundy from distance after he broke clear of the defence before O’Neill tried his shot from distance at the other end to no avail.
With the half drawing to a close at a stalemate the Jets scored what proved to be the winning goal as Carroll capitalised on a sharp cutback to sweep home and send the Jets in at the break in the lead two goals to one.
Clearly fired up by conceding, the Sky Blues exerted total dominance over the second 45 with the wingers and fullbacks combining to great effect to carve out a number of prime opportunities.
While George Timotheou was called on early to make a fantastic last ditch tackle on Barresi that was as close as the Jets got in the second half with Christopher Naumoff proving troublesome upfront, going close twice within the space of three minutes just beyond the 70 minute mark.
Charles Lokoli-Ngoy thought he’d scored the equaliser as he headed home off a great cross from Stambolziev, only to have the strike ruled out for a push in the build-up in the 80th minute.
Naumoff again went close with five minutes remaining while Lokoli-Ngoy and Calver both tested the keeper from distance but for no reward.
Unable to claw back an equaliser the Sky Blues fell to the Jets, as the Novocastrians soaked up the second half pressure to seal the three points.
The Sky Blues are next in action in the Foxtel National Youth League on Sunday 20 December against the Western Sydney Wanderers at Popondetta Park (kick off 4pm).
SYDNEY FC: 1. Anthony BOUZANIS (gk), 2. George TIMOTHEOU, 3. Aaron CALVER (c), 8. Max BURGESS, 9. Bai ANTONIOU (70′ Charles LOKOLI-NGOY), 13. Zac ANDERSON (83′ Yianni SPYRAKIS), 14. Robert STAMBOLZIEV, 15. Alex MULLEN (76′ Daniel ARAUJO), 16. Brandon O’NEILL, 17. Christopher ZUVELA, 18. Christopher NAUMOFF.
