Sydney FC has revived its 2008/09 Hyundai A-League season with a hard-fought 2-1 win over the Newcastle Jets at EnergyAustralia Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Sky Blues came back from a goal down to score their first win in five matches with defender Iain Fyfe and 20-year-old substitute Brendan Gan, who was playing in just his second Hyundai A-League match, the unlikely heroes netting in the 15th and 78th minutes respectively.
The win sees Sydney move back into the top four while the Jets’ Championship defence is all but over as they sit outright last on the ladder after another disappointing result at home.
“Mathematically it is possible for us (to make the semi-finals),” said Newcastle head coach Gary van Egmond after the match.
“But we are going to have to go on some sort of run to get ourselves into the top four.”
“You will probably not need as many points as you did last year as the league is congested but it is going to be tough.”
The Jets controlled the match in the opening stages and went ahead in the 11th minute.
Teenager Marko Jesic showed maturity to stand up Robbie Middleby on the right wing before crossing to the top of the penalty area where Newcastle midfielder Jobe Wheelhouse raced onto the ball and drove a powerful volley into the corner of the net.
Sydney struck back almost immediately through Fyfe.
Shannon Cole swung a dangerous-looking free-kick into the penalty area where fellow defender Beau Busch flicked on a header for John Aloisi at the back post.
The Sydney striker headed back into the centre where Fyfe steamed through to head home from point-blank range.
The Jets continued to have the better of the attacking opportunities in the first half with Matt Thompson forcing a good save from Sydney goalkeeper Clint Bolton at the near post following another pin-point Jesic cross and James Holland, who had been looking dangerous in an attacking midfielder role, firing his shot just over the crossbar.
Sydney came out with more attacking venom at the start of the second half and created a number of enterprising raids.
Aloisi’s chipped chance just went over the crossbar when he spied Jets keeper Ante Covic off his line, Mark Bridge looked threatening before being dispossessed by Adam Griffiths in the penalty box while skipper Steve Corica was denied by great keeping from Covic on two occasions.
Alex Brosque took advantage of a quickly taken free kick to streak away down the left wing before crossing to an unmarked Corica on the edge of the six-yard box.
Covic parried away the Sydney midfielder’s first shot and then smothered the Corica follow-up to keep the scores locked at 1-1.
Sydney was eventually rewarded for its efforts in the 78th minute when substitute Gan, who had just replaced Bobby Petta moments earlier, scored a handsome goal.
Aloisi made the initial inroad before dishing off to Bridge who in turn found Corica at the top of the penalty box.
The Sydney skipper chipped a nice pass to Gan, who slammed his shot into the far corner from 15 yards out.
Newcastle threw everyone forward in a desperate bid to salvage something from the match and went close with Jesic and substitute Jesper Hakansson spurning good chances but the Sydney defence held firm to score a vital win.
“I am always happy with three points,” Sydney FC coach John Kosmina said after the match. “The good thing is we conceded a goal which we could have defended better but we didn’t hang our heads. We came back straight away and continued to play good football.”
Newcastle Jets 1
(Wheelhouse 11)
Sydney FC 2
(Fyfe 15, Gan 78)
Crowd 7172 at EnergyAustralia Stadium, Newcastle
