Sydney FC’s PlayStation 4 NPL 2 NSW Men’s side put in a courageous display with only ten men to draw 0-0 with North Shore Mariners at Northbridge Oval on Sunday.
Sydney FC started with early pressure on their opponent with Bai Antoniou and Brendan Curtis having their efforts palmed away by the Mariners keeper while William Mutch saw his shot on goal bundled off the line to safety.
The North Shore Mariners made their strategy clear from the outset setting up with five at the back in a 5-4-1 formation in an attempt to thwart the Sky Blues attack on a very compact pitch.
Sydney FC suffered a setback in the 39th minute when Antoniou was shown a straight red card by the official for an alleged altercation off the ball when trying to free himself from a “rugby” tackle by a Mariners player and the team headed to the half time at 0-0.
Despite being reduced to ten men it was Sydney FC that took the game to the North Shore Mariners in the second half who still lined up with five defenders and, at times, six across the backline.
A double sub on the hour mark saw the injection of Charles Lokolingoy and Daniel Maskin into the game, and the move nearly paid off with the forwards causing problems for the Mariners defence with shots on target which were desperately blocked or scrambled away.
Sydney FC had one last chance in the dying minutes as Mutch sprinted in behind the defence but his cross didn’t find it mark and once again the ball was thumped to safety.
In the end the Sky Blues had to settle for a draw which was enough to nudge them to the outright competition lead by a solitary point over Western Sydney Wanderers, with Marconi now in third place only three points behind.
Sydney FC 0 drew with North Shore Mariners 0
Sydney FC Line Up: Mitch Evans (GK), Nicola Kuleski, Patrick Flottman, George Timotheou, Brendan Curtis, Matt Green, Daniel Araujo (C), Chris Zuvela (Daniel Maskin 60’), Bai Antoniou, William Mutch, Juan Fillipe Zapata (Charles Lokolingoy 60’)
Subs Not Used: Nick Sorras (GK), Chris Arditti, Andrea Agamemnonos
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