Sydney FC have defeated NPL NSW side NWS Spirit 6-0 in their second behind-closed-doors friendly of pre-season at Leichhardt Oval.
Two goals from Jaiden Kucharski, plus one each from Nathan Amanatidis, Adrian Segecic, Jordan Courtney-Perkins and Aaron Gurd secured the win in an entertaining and tough tackling clash with their NPL neighbours.
Sydney FC 6 (Kucharski 8′, 27′, Amanatidis 13′, Courtney-Perkins 57′, Segecic 62′, Gurd 90′) def NWS Spirit 0
Moments That Mattered:
8′ | KUCHARSKI OPENER – France was quick to the ball and slid it to Amanatidis in the left channel. He cut it back to Segecic who’s shot was deflected and Kucharski was unmarked from close range to finish left footed and open the scoring, as he did against Newcastle last week.
12′ | REDMAYNE DOWN WELL – Redmayne is down smartly to parry a long range shot to his left and then up quickly to smother the ball.
13′ | AMANATIDIS HITS SECOND – France feeds Kucharski in the left channel. He races into the box and crosses to the back post where Amanatidis is there ahead of his marker to slot home.
15′ | REDMAYNE SAVES WELL AGAIN – A miscued shot from Spirit is nudged back into the centre of the box from the left and Redmayne has to twist his body the opposite direction to tip it around the post with his right hand.
20′ | OFF THE POST – Amanatidis crosses to the back post and a Spirit defender volleys the ball off his own upright with the ricochet coming back off his own legs and out for a corner. A bizarre incident.
27′ | KUCHARSKI HITS A THIRD – Courntey-Perkins’ header is blocked from Ouahim’s right wing corner but it drops to Kucharski who smashes the ball home.
28′ | SEGECIC HITS THE POST – Sydney FC win the ball in the final third and Segecic shoots from 25 yards only to see the ball cannon back off the post.
39′ | OUAHIM SHOT SAVED – Amanatidis beats his man and crosses to Ouahim. The German turns and fires a right foot shot which is saved low to his left by the keeper.
41′ | REDMAYNE SAVES POINT BLANK – Spirit get free on a counter down the left, the ball into the box is met first time on the six yard box, but Redders is big and the ball rebounds off his chest.
50′ | SEGECIC CHANCE – A mistake at the back by Spirit gifts the ball to Segecic with the keeper off his line, but his looped shot is just over.
55′ | REDMAYNE DIVING SAVE – Redmayne dives full length to palm away a left foot strike from the Spirit striker who got free down the left.
57′ | COURTNEY-PERKINS FOR FOUR – A scramble in the Spirit box from a corner and the ball is squared to Courtney-Perkins who slots home with his left foot inside the six-yard box.
62′ | SEGECIC MAKES IT FIVE – Substitute Max Burgess gets to the byline and cuts the ball back to Segecic to get a double with his right foot.
90′ | GURD WITH A SIXTH – France slips the ball to Middleton with his back to goal, he lays the ball off to Burgess who lifts the ball to the back post for Gurd to complete the night.
What They Said – Ufuk Talay
“A very good hit out and I was most pleased by the great mentality and attitude from the boys, as I have been all pre-season.
“I was very pleased how they went about things.
“Tactically I think there were some really good understanding and some really good moments, and also some moments that we still need to improve on.
“Overall very pleased and I’d just like to thank NWS Spirit too for the opportunity to play.”
Match Report
Sydney FC have eased to a comfortable 6-0 win over NWS Spirit at Leichhardt Oval in their final friendly before the start of the Australia Cup campaign.
Ufuk Talay made two changes from the team that defeated Newcastle Jets 4-0 last week with Nathan Amanatidis replacing Anthony Caceres in midfield and Aaron Gurd in for Hayden Matthews in defence. Max Burgess came onto the bench.
The first half began at a frenetic pace with the Sky Blues’ young forward line dominating and pressing the Spirit defence.
They were rewarded in the 8th minute when Kucharski pounced upon Segecic’s deflected shot to make it 1-0 after good link up play from France and Amanatidis.
The Sky Blues were 2-0 up five minutes later when Kucharski crossed to Amanatidis inside the box to slot home.
Sydney FC didn’t have it all their own way however, as Spirit were quick on the counter attack forcing Andrew Redmayne into two very good saves early on.
Kucharski made it 3-0 shortly before the half hour, but not before a bizarre incident where the Spirit defender cannoned the ball off his own post and back into his own legs.
From the resulting corner Courtney-Perkins’ header was blocked allowing Kucharski to power home for three, when the ball fell to him.
The pace continued with Segecic hitting the post from long range a minute later and Ouahim forcing the keeper into a fine one handed save.
Spirit were close to pulling one back just before half time but Redmayne spread himself well to block an unmarked shot with his chest from close range.
The opposition began the second half stronger, twice getting down the Sydney FC left and finding good positions only to fluff their lines.
Sydney FC almost added a fourth after those scares when Segecic’s lob over the stranded keeper also went over the bar.
A Spirit defender then put against the outside of his own post under pressure from Gurd following a Ouahim cross.
The fourth did come a few moments later when Courtney-Perkins finished after a scramble in the box following a corner.
Segecic netted just after the hour mark when substitute Burgess cut the ball to the back post. The frontman’s night was done at that point with Kamijo replacing him.
Both sides kept up the pace and tenacity with some tough challenges as the game reached a conclusion.
Gurd added a sixth goal with the final kick of the match following neat passing play from France, Middleton and Burgess.
The Sky Blues play their first match of the new season next Tuesday night (30th July) away to Oakleigh Cannons in the Australia Cup Round of 32.
SYDNEY FC: 1. Andrew REDMAYNE (GK), 3. Aaron GURD, 4. Jordan COURTNEY-PERKINS, 7. Adrian SEGECIC (24. Wataru KAMIJO 62′), 8. Anas OUAHIM (19. Mitch GLASSON 80′), 16. Joel KING, 23. Rhyan GRANT, 25. Jaiden KUCHARSKI (22. Max BURGESS 55′), 27. Lachlan MIDDLETON, 28. Nathan AMANTIDIS (17. Anthony CACERES 80′), 33. Marin FRANCE.
Unused Subs: 12. Harrison DEVENISH-MEARES (GK), 30. Gus HOEFSLOOT (GK), 13. Joseph CALUSIC, 21. Jacob BRAZETE, 29. Sam LANCASTER.
