Table-topping Sydney FC continued their winning form in the Foxtel National Youth League with a hard-fought 3-0 win over the Australian Institute of Sport at Cromer Park.
Table-topping Sydney FC continued their winning form in the Foxtel National Youth League with a hard-fought 3-0 win over the Australian Institute of Sport at Cromer Park.
Sydney were made to work overtime by a resilient AIS before eventually over-running their youthful opponents to make it eight wins from nine starts at the halfway point of the season.
The Institute more than held their own against the highly-regarded Sky Blues in a tight opening half, only to go into the break a goal down.
Goalscoring chances were at a premium in the first half with the AIS struggling to create openings in the attacking third despite their competitiveness in the midfield.
The only goal of the half came on 18 minutes when Alex Urosevski coolly finished from an acute angle after swapping passes with defender Daniel Petkovski on the left side of the penalty area.
Liam Rose blazed marginally over from long-range for the visitors from Canberra, while Darcy Madden narrowly failed to force the ball home from close range early in the second period.
However, it was the Sky Blues that made the perfect start following the restart with Urosevski’s run down the left setting up Mitchell Mallia for an easy finish from point-blank range.
Blake Powell entered the fray in place of Mallia, and almost immediately made an impact firing inches wide from the edge of the penalty area as the Sky Blues threatened to put the game out of reach.
Powell did eventually get on the scoresheet with the former Sutherland junior bundled over in the penalty area before converting the resultant spot-kick.
The AIS seemed certain to get a consolation but Marc Marino, having dribbled around the goalkeeper, could only find the woodwork as the retreating Sydney FC defenders closed down the target.
The AIS, to their credit, finished the stronger of the two sides creating a number of openings in the dying minutes though there was to be no reward for their endeavour.
Sydney FC 3 (Urosevski 18, Mallia 50, Powell 70p)
AIS 0
