Sydney FC battled out a one all draw with Champions Melbourne Victory despite having to spend the majority of the second half with ten men.
Sydney FC 1 (Carney 76’) drew with Melbourne Victory 1 (Barbarouses 46’)
Hosts Victory opened the scoring in the first minute of the second half through Kosta Barbarouses and the Sky Blues had centre half Jacques Faty sent off just after the hour for a professional foul on Besart Berisha.
However a superb solo effort from David Carney levelled the tie with a quarter of an hour to go and Graham Arnold’s men could have pinched the win with a couple of chances late on.
What They Said
Graham Arnold: “When you play Melbourne Victory, the first thing you have to do is match the fight and I thought we did exceptionally well tonight. At times we can do better but after the trip away to Tokyo and we travelled for 22 hours to get back and to back up the way we did was very good.
“I thought Barbarouses should have been a red card, for me it’s clear and simple and then Seb Ryall is shown a yellow card for one half challenge.
“David Carney is excellent in one on one situations and we try to put him in that situations as much as we can and he came through tonight.”
David Carney: “It was nice to get the goal. Going down to ten men was hard and I think it shows the team has character. To get a point away from home against Melbourne Victory, they are a quality side so it’s not too bad. After going down to ten men with half an hour to go, I think to get a point is a fair result.
“We definitely came here for the three points but it wasn’t to be tonight. Both teams played midweek and I thought it was an end to end game.
Goals
46’ BARBAROUSES GOAL – Barbarouses receives the ball out wide right runs at Grant and hits a left foot shot inside Janjetovic’s near post.
76’ CARNEY GOAL – David Carney picks up the ball near the halfway line and drives at the Victory defence before smashing the ball across Vukovic into the corner.
Key Moments
12’ FINKLER HITS THE BAR – Melbourne Victory are awarded a free kick on the edge of the Sydney FC box which Finkler takes and floats over the wall but the ball hits the crossbar and bounces down and is cleared.
22’ BARBAROUSES TACKLE – A mis-timed tackle from Kosta Barbarouses on Milos Ninkovic provokes an angry reaction from the Sky Blues as he goes over the top of the ball and connects with the Serbian’s shin. No card is shown.
35’ RYALL SHOT – Seb Ryall shoots from long range and it has Vukovic diving across this goal but the ball goes a few inches over.
53’ BEN KHALFALLAH SHOT – A ball is crossed to the left hand side of the box where Ben Khalfallah volleys it first time over the bar.
54’ CARNEY SHOT – Ninkovic feeds Carney who hits a first time shot which Vukovic has to parry but no one is following up for Sydney FC.
58’ FINKLER HEADER – A corner is hit to the far post by Victory and headed back across to Finkler but he directs his header straight at Janjetovic.
64’ FATY SENT OFF – Faty fails to pass the ball back to keeper Janjetovic and Berisha breaks but is pulled back by the French defender and he is show the red card.
87’ NINKOVIC CHANCE – Ninkovic swerves a shot at goal which Vukovic has to dive full length to push around the post.
92’ CRUCIAL JURMAN BLOCK – Georgievski pushes into the box and as O’Neill slips the goal opens up but Jurman is there to make a vital last gasp block.
Team News
Sydney FC 1 (Carney 76’) drew with Melbourne Victory 1 (Barbarouses 46’)
Sydney FC Head Coach Graham Arnold kept faith with the starting eleven that began the game against the Western Sydney Wanderers seven days earlier. David Carney, Brandon O’Neill, Matt Simon, Jacques Faty and Filip Holosko who all missed the trip to Japan returned to the team. Milos Ninkovic and Alex Brosque came back into the team after being on the bench against Urawa Red Diamonds. Jurman, Ryall, Grant and Janjetovic all backed up with their third game in a week.
Ground: AAMI Park
Referee: Kris Griffiths Jones
Sydney FC: 1. Vedran JANJETOVIC (gk), 2. Seb RYALL, 5. Matt JURMAN, 10. Milos NINKOVIC, 13. Brandon O’NEILL, 14. Alex BROSQUE (captain) (9. Shane SMELTZ 69’), 17. David CARNEY, 18. Matt SIMON (8. Milos DIMITRIJEVIC 20’), 19. Jacques FATY, 21. Filip HOLOSKO (6. Rob STAMBOLZIEV 89’), 23. Rhyan GRANT.
Subs not used: 20. Ivan NECEVSKI (gk), 25. Aaron CALVER.
Yellow cards: Brosque 24’, Ryall 45’, Carney 70’, Grant 87’, Stambolziev 93’.
Red cards: Faty 64’,
Melbourne Victory: 1.Danny VUKOVIC (gk), 3.Scott GALLOWAY, 5.Daniel GEORGIEVSKI, 6.Leigh BROXHAM (c), 7.Gui FINKLER, 8.Besart BERISHA (10.Archie THOMPSON 83’), 9.Kosta BARBAROUSES (23.Jai INGHAM 80’), 14.Fahid BEN KHALFALLAH, 16.Rashid MAHAZI, 17.Matthieu DELPIERRE, 24.Thomas DENG (13.Oliver BOZANIC 83’)
Subs not used: 20.Lawrence THOMAS (gk), 15. GALLIFUOCO.
Yellow cards: Georgievski 31’.
Red cards: None.
