Sydney FC has made a winning start to its National Youth League campaign with a come-from behind 2-1 victory over Queensland Roar at the Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday.
Having conceded an early goal, the hosts rallied with two strikes in seven minutes late in the second half to claim maximum points and hand the visitors their first loss of the season.
Sydney FC enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges but it was the visitors who struck first in the 14th minute when Joshua McVey found the back of the net from close range.
A searching 30-metre pass from Michael Ryan caught the Sydney defensive line on its heels and McVey took full advantage slotting the ball past the experienced Ivan Necevski for the early lead.
Sydney’s best chance came on the half hour with only a top-shelf save from Roar custodian Matt Acton denying the hosts.
In what was a carbon copy of Queensland’s opening goal, Kofi Danning showed electrifying pace to get on the end of a searching ball but the Roar keeper was up to the task.
Danning continued to look dangerous unleashing a thunderous strike from beyond the penalty box six minutes out from the interval, but again Acton was up to the task to preserve his side’s one-goal advantage at the break.
While Queensland fired the first shot in anger after the re-start the hosts looked far more likely to strike, but despite creating a multitude of chances the Sky Blues could not find a way through.
The equaliser finally came in the 68th minute when Adam Biddle capitalised on the Roar’s inability to clear a floating corner kick inside the box, banging home a right-foot strike from close range.
Both sides came agonisingly close to snatching the lead as the battle for maximum points intensified but the hosts were next to strike through replacement Chris Payne.
A pin-point 40-metre delivery from Chris Triantis put Payne in the clear and the promising striker made no mistake to hand his side the lead with 15-minutes to play.
Match Details
Sydney FC 2 (Adam Biddle 68′, Chris Payne 75′)
Queensland Roar 1 (Josh McVey 14′)
Sydney Football Stadium,Sydney
Referee: Chris Beath
Assistant Referees: Adam Weir, Nick Backo
Fourth Official: Matthew Gillett
Sydney FC line-up: 1.Ivan NECEVSKI (gk) (OA) (30.Vedran JANJETOVIC (gk) 45-), 3.Adam BIDDLE, 10.Zach CAIRNCROSS, 11.Kofi DANNING, 8.Anthony GOLEC, 2.Rhyan GRANT, 12.Ibrahim HAYDAR, 7.Robbie MILESKI (18.Anthony MUSUMECI 61-), 9.Sean ROONEY (6.Chris PAYNE 61-), 4.Chris TRIANTIS, 5.Mitchell PRENTICE (OA) (16.Kearyn BACCUS 45-)
Substitutes not used: Nil
Yellow cards: Chris Payne 63-
Red Cards: Nil
Queensland Roar line-up: 1.Matt ACTON (gk), 8.Michael ANGUS (5.Brad McDONALD 61-), 4.Mitchell BEVAN, 3.Daniel BOWLES, 6.Sam GALLAWAY, 13.Chris GROSSMAN (10.Luke BRATTAN 45-), 11.Josh McVEY, 2.Michael RYAN, 7.Adam SAROTA, 9.Tyler THURTELL (14.Isaka CERNAK 58-), 18.Tim SMITS (OA)
Substitutes not used: Nil
Yellow cards: Michael Angus 22-
Red Cards: Nil
