Sydney FC secured a vital win in their race for the Premiers Plate thanks to a second Adam Le Fondre penalty in consecutive weeks.
Sydney FC 1 (Le Fondre pen 65’) def. Wellington Phoenix 0
Sydney FC secured a vital win in their race for the Premiers Plate thanks to a second Adam Le Fondre penalty in consecutive weeks.
Moments That Mattered:
1. Ghoochannejhad Chance – 7’ – Le Fondre plays in Ghoochannejhad who races into the penalty area but his shot is saved by the right arm of Kurto.
2. Le Fondre Chance – 18’ – Ghoochannejhad lifts a ball into the path of Le Fondre but the striker volleys over from close range.
3. Ghoochannejhad Off The Post – 21’ – Reza is played into the Phoenix box on the right and takes a touch before curling it at goal, but it smashes off the far post and it’s cleared.
4. Phoenix Goal Disallowed – 27’ – Kopczynski puts the ball in the net following a scramble in the Sydney FC penalty box but the flag is up as he comes back from an offside position.
5. Caceres Chance – 28’ – Grant heads the ball back across the goal and it falls to Caceres to shoot but it’s blocked.
6. Le Fondre Goal – 64’ – Brosque is felled in the box by Kurto and Le Fondre steps up to smash the ball in the roof of the net.
7. Redmayne Saves – 82’ – Max Burgess is played into the Sky Blues box and sweeps an effort at goal, but Redmayne is down low well to save.
8. De Silva Effort Off The Line – 90’ – Adam Le Fondre breaks free on the left and cuts across goal to De Silva who sees his effort while falling cleared off the line.
Sydney FC are up into second spot in the Hyundai A-League ahead of the Melbourne Derby later on Saturday night, after a dominant display at Campbelltown Sports Stadium against Wellington Phoenix.
A second half Adam Le Fondre penalty was the difference, despite a first half where the Sky Blues could have easily had more goals.
The Phoenix had a strike rightfully disallowed for offside, and threw men forward late in the game but the Sky Blues defence held firm.
Sydney FC now face Adelaide United at Leichhardt Oval on Friday night in another huge game in the race for the title.
What they said:
Steve Corica: “It was a very important win. We’ve been playing well in the last two weeks but haven’t got the result but we were excellent tonight first half.
“We didn’t take our chances so pleased to get the win in the second half and we also defended very well when they put us under pressure late on.
“This game should have been 3-0 at half time but the finishing will come and when it does, we are really going to hurt teams.”
Sydney FC: 1. Andrew REDMAYNE (GK), 3. Ben WARLAND, 4. Alex WILKINSON, 6. Josh BRILLANTE, 7. Michael ZULLO, 9. Adam Le FONDRE, 10. Milos NINKOVIC, 13. Brandon O’NEILL, 16. Reza GHOOCHANNEJHAD (14. Alex BROSQUE 55’), 17. Anthony CACERES (11. Daniel DE SILVA 86’), 23. Rhyan GRANT.
Subs Not Used: Alex CISAK (GK), 2. Aaron CALVER, 31. Luke IVANOVIC.
Yellow Cards: Le Fondre 79’, Brosque 86’.
Red Cards: None.
Wellington Phoenix: 1. Filip KURTO, 4. Armando SOSA PENA, 6. Dylan FOX (5. Ryan LOWRY 32’), 11. David WILLIAMS, 13. Liberato CACACE (23. Max BURGESS 73’), 14 Alex RUFER, 15. Michal KOPCZYNSKI, 16. Louis FENTON, 18. Sarpreet SINGH (7. Cillian SHERIDAN 55’), 21. Roy KRISHNA, 22. Andrew DURANTE.
Subs not used: 20. Oliver SAIL, 9. Nathan BURNS,.
Yellow Cards: Durante 14’, Lowry 78’, Rufer 94’.
Red Cards: None.
Ground: Campbelltown Sports Stadium
Crowd: 5,115.
Referee: Shaun Evans
