Two late Kerem Bulut penalties have given Sydney FC a 2-0 victory over Newcastle in the National Youth League at the SFS on Sunday.
Bulut won both penalties after being brought down in the box, racing to the spot on each occasion to convert – the first after 71 minutes and the second with five minutes to go.
He calmly sent his first kick into the bottom left of the net and followed up with a deft chip to the top right for his second, sealing Sydney’s second straight victory.
It leaves the Sky Blues alone at the top of the table after two rounds.
Newcastle enjoyed the best of the early chances, Damian Brosque and William Angel finding the target inside the first 15 minutes but lacking the power to really trouble goalkeeper Nenad Vekic.
The Jets continued to press forward and were unlucky to see Mirjan Pavlovic’s header sail just over the bar.
The near miss was a signal for Sydney to get into the game and the hosts enjoyed their best period of the game midway through the half.
Hussein Akil and Bulut combined nicely inside the box to create a great opportunity for Bulut on 17 minutes, but the striker badly sliced his shot with the goal at his mercy.
A minute later Iain Ramsay launched an ambitious drive which flew just wide of the mark.
Bulut was proving a handful, producing a dive from Jets custodian Dion Shaw following a shot that had direction but lacked any real force.
Shaw was in the game again at the 25-minute mark, tipping Bulut’s header onto his bar.
Sim rounded off an entertaining half with a mazy run which took him past three defenders, the shot into the side netting not matching the build-up.
Newcastle’s Scott Balderson should have done better with a free header on 66 minutes, his effort sprayed wide with only the keeper to beat from six yards.
The miss proved costly, man-of-the-match Bulut stepping up to score twice inside the last 20 minutes.
Sydney FC 2 (Bulut 71 pen, 85m pen)
Newcastle 0
