A second-half onslaught has helped Sydney FC stun Mt Druitt Town Rangers 5-2 at Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre on Sunday.
The Young Sky Blues scored five unanswered goals in the second stanza to come back from 2-0 down at the break and notch their first win since round three
A much-changed Sydney FC outfit, incorporating several U-18 players, fell behind to first-half strikes from Jason Perez strike and Mitch Smith.
However, a Clayton Taylor goal on the hour mark turned the momentum in the home side’s favour with Thomas Fay netting a hat-trick in just over ten minutes before Adrian Segecic wrapped up an incredible victory with a goal in the closing stages.
Sydney FC made a fast start to the contest with Segecic creating an early chance for Taylor.
Rangers response was a well-aimed shot from Jack Stewart, which the home defence did well to block, before Levi Kaye stopped a follow up effort from Mitch Smith.
Adrian Simmons came closest to breaking the deadlock when chipping over Carlos Saliadarre, but his lob landed on top of the netting.
The visitors finally found the breakthrough in the 37th minute as Perez scored with a follow up effort to give Mt Druitt a 1-0 lead.
Rangers doubled their lead only moments later as Smith found the back of the net to give Mt Druitt a two-goal buffer at the break.
Sydney were forced to take it to their opponents after the interval but it left them short at the back which Rangers set out to exploit.
However, it was the Rangers high-line which came undone after a ball over the top from Jake Girdwood-Reich fell to Taylor who scored Sydney’s opener after rounding the keeper.
The goal began a barrage of Sky Blue chances and it didn’t take long for them to find an equaliser.
Fay was quickest to react to head the ball home after a flurry in the box as Sydney made it 2-2.
Simmons was adjudged to have been fouled inside the area resulting in a penalty awarded that Saliadarre twice saved before Fay was able to complete the turn around.
It got worse for the visitors when Segecic added a fifth in the 81’ minute to wrap up the points for Sydney and complete the rout.
Jim Van Weeren, Sydney FC coach, was delighted with his side’s performance.
“Tonight we showed what we are capable of when we are good,” he said.
“We had 4-lads out there tonight who are between 16-17 years old. When you have young players they can be hot or cold but in the second half they showed what they were capable of.
“Some of the stuff we played in the second-half was really, really good. We know we have lads who will go further in the game and this is a stepping stone for them but overall we’re very pleased with the result.”
A more than unhappy Rangers coach, Stewart Montgomery rued what could’ve been after his side’s second half capitulation.
“It was a game where we were in control, 2-nil up at the break, and then played into their hands in the second,” Montgomery said.
“We knew they would have to come at us but we overplayed it at the back and invited them to play the high press and it was our undoing.
“They took full advantage of our mistakes when we should have been looking to play it in behind them but too much over playing at the back has cost us and Sydney found their momentum and punished us.
“It was a poor performance from us at the end of the day, simple as that.”
Match Stats
Sydney FC 5 (Taylor 60’, Fay 67’, 72’, 79’, Segecic 81’)
Mount Druitt Town Rangers 2 (Perez 37’, Smith 44’)
Ilinden Sports Centre, Rockdale
Sunday, 6th June 2021
Referee: Michael Weiner
Assistant Referees: Cameron Wright & Logan Jones
Fourth Official: Amir Hosani
Sydney FC: 1 Levi KANE 2.Cameron FONG, 3 Aaron GURD, 5 Tom FAY, 7.Aidan SIMMONS, 11.Adrian SEGECIC, 12 Jake GIRDWOOD-REICH, 13.Clayton TAYLOR (22.Aleksander DURICIC 77’), 18.Oscar PRIESTMAN (16.Stevan STANIC-FLOODY 65’), 19.Joseph CALUSIC, 33.Corey HOLLMAN
Substitutes not used: 25.Andrew VLAMADAMIS, 36.Luke NEIUEHNHOF, 70.Max VARTULI
Yellow Cards: Priestman , Girdwood-Reich 73’
Red Cards: Nil
Mt Druitt Town Rangers: 1.Carlos SALIADARRE, 2.Solomon-Johnn MONOHAN-VAIIKA ( 88’), 3.Travis OUGHTRED, 4.Mitchell SMITH (6.Blake THOMPSON 80’), 7.Jack STEWART, 8.Jason PEREZ (10.Takumo TSUJIMONO 57’), 17.Cooper COSKERIE (9.Toufic ALAMEDDINE 80), 18.Jared MACEROLA (14.Fumoto KAMADA 80’), 21.Tarek ELRICH, 22.Jake MAMONE, 33.Marc WARREN
Substitutes not used:
Yellow Cards: Monohan-Vaiika 50’, Warren 69’
Red Cards: Nil
