Sydney FC’s Foxtel National Youth League squad notched their first win of the season with a solid 1-0 result against Central Coast Mariners at the CCM Centre of Excellence in Tuggerah on Sunday.
The Young Sky Blues had the better of the opening stanza and Brendan Curtis slotted the ball into the net with 20 minutes gone only to be ruled offside.
Jeremy Cox then hit the post and Charles Lokolingoy tested the Mariners keeper with a close range header.
Neither side could break the stalemate and both teams went into the break locked at 0-0.
Central Coast started brightly in the second half, forcing Tom Heward-Belle into a great save low to his left and then also hit the woodwork with a shot from distance.
Sydney FC settled and in the 60th minute Hassan Jalloh hit the back of the net but once again the offside flag cancelled it out.
The Sky Blues didn’t have to wait much longer for their goal, in 65th minute 16 year old Marco Tilio slid by his marker on the left before sending a cross into the penalty where Cox rose above the defence to head home the opener and his third goal in three consecutive games for a 1-0 lead.
The rest of the game was an arm wrestle as the Mariners tried to pull back the deficit while Sydney FC looked to extend their lead.
It was Sydney FC that handled the final quarter hour the best with Aaron Calver and Patrick Flottmann both dominating the back line to shut out the game with a clean sheet.
Sydney FC 1 (Cox 65′) def. CCM 0
Line Up: Tom Heward-Belle; William Mutch; Patrick Flottmann; Aaron Calver; Brendan Curtis (Joel King 32′); Andrea Agamemnonos; Jerry Skotadis; Sam McIllhatton (C); Charles Lokolingoy (Hassan Jalloh 53′); Marco Tilio; Jeremy Cox (Ben Koop 88′)
Subs not used: Duro Dragicevic (GK)
The NYL now takes a break over the Christmas period. The next fixture will be on Friday 29th December against Canberra United at Lambert Park 6:30pm kick off.
AFC Champions League Memberships are now available! Purchase yours and be at Sydney Football Stadium for our three blockbuster Group Stage clashes as we go on our #QuestToBeTheBest! Click here to secure your seats.
