Sydney FC finally returned to winning ways in the Hyundai A-League after a clinical 4-1 victory over North Queensland Fury at the Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday night.
After dishing up a woeful 90 minutes on their home patch against the Newcastle Jets last Sunday, the Jekyll and Hyde Sky Blues were yet again on display.
But this week the fans were applauding, not shaking their heads in dismay.
Vitezslav Lavicka’s men, led by man of the match Karol Kisel, Alex Brosque and Steve Corica, produced champagne football at times, conjuring up images of their emphatic performance against Melbourne Victory back in October at Etihad Stadium.
It was almost hard to believe Sydney was coming into the game on the back of three straight defeats, such was its early intent.
Reinstated striker John Aloisi slammed home his fifth goal of the campaign after just 13 minutes to start proceedings, with Brosque doubling the lead moments later with an audacious scooped effort from the edge of the area as Fury keeper Justin Pasfield attempted to cut the angle.
North Queensland nearly pegged one back minutes later after some casual defending from Shannon Cole.
Robbie Fowler almost beat Clint Bolton at his far post, but the chance went begging.
As the first half drew to a close the home side was in complete control, with Kisel almost untouchable with his relentless darting runs from the right flank.
He ran his opposite number David Williams ragged, in a night he will want to quickly erase from his memory.
Stephan Keller almost wrapped up the three points heading into injury time, but was denied by a last ditch tackle inside the box from Matthew Smith.
Brosque then grabbed his second on the hour mark after some schoolboy defending. Clearly in the form of his life following his recent call up to the Socceroo squad, the man with the best left foot in the competition ghosted to the near post unmarked and headed home past his former team-mate Pasfield.
The Fury did manage to cut the deficit to two goals after Rostyn Griffiths forced home a pinpoint Terry Cooke free kick moments later but the three-goal cushion was soon restored after some more shambolic defending from the away team.
A quickly taken throw in from Sung-wan Hwan Byun saw Terry McFlynn lob a ball over in the path of Corica who defied his height to head home from six yards.
The virtuoso performances of Kisel, Brosque and Corica were all acknowledged by the fans at Moore Park, with the trio all receiving standing ovations as they made their way to the sideline.
Ian Ferguson cut a forlorn figure, bemused as to why his team only began to play once the result was assured.
Sydney FC 4 (Aloisi 13, Brosque 19, 58, Corica 64)
North Queensland Fury 1 (Griffiths 61)
@ The Sydney Football Stadium, 5/12/09. Crowd: 11,871
