Sydney FC maintained their mid-season revival in the National Youth League by cruising to a comfortable 3-0 win against Newcastle Jets at the Sydney Football Stadium.
It was the fourth win on the trot for the Sky Blues and lifted them to second having been sitting in last position as recently as the turn of the year.
Sydney never looked back after Kofi Danning outsprinted the defence on the left flank after latching onto a well-weighted through ball from right fullback Mitchell Speer, with the pacy forward finishing coolly past an exposed Robbie Kolak. The Cove favourite celebrating by strumming the corner flag with an impressive air-guitar display.
Danning nearly repeated the dose 10 minutes later but clipped the outside of the post from a 45 degree angle after exchanging passes with Blake Powell on the edge of the penalty area.
However the home side didn’t have to wait long to double their advantage as Mitchell Speer nodded home from 10 metres after latching onto a perfectly flighted free-kick from Jared Lum with the Jets’ defence flat-footed.
It could have been even worse within 60 seconds but for a spectacular flying save from Kolak to deny Danning’s header.
The Jets finally put pressure on the Sky Blues goal with Luke Remington denied only by some desperate defenders who blocked his shot with goalkeeper Dylan Mitchell struggling to regain his position.
Appropriately it was Danning who made the final telling contribution of the opening half by hitting a rasping shot inside Kolak’s near post in the final minute of the half effectively ending the match as a contest.
Ten minutes after the interval Sydney spurned a golden opening as Joel Chianese placed a shot over the bar in a one-on-one with Kolak. Danning had played the defence splitting pass in what was his last action before being substituted.
The tempo of action in the second half slowed with the goalkeepers left as spectators for lengthy periods. The Jets- Scott Pettit though produced an impressive full-length block substitute goalkeeper Aaron Liddell in what the closest of the visitors came to getting on the scoresheet.
Sydney FC 3 (Danning 18, 45, Speer 35)
Newcastle Jets 0
