Sydney spoiled the North Queensland Fury’s home warming with a thrilling 3-2 win in the round one Hyundai A-League clash in Townsville on Saturday night.
A penalty to John Aloisi in the 72nd minute proved the difference as the visitors went close to allowing a 2-0 first half lead slip through their grasps.
John Aloisi made a statement that may be back from a horror 2008/09 season, with a double while talented teenager Kofi Danning scored the other for Sydney.
Rostyn Griffiths scored for North Queensland in the first half, while Robbie Fowler announced his presence in the A-League with a strike from the penalty spot to level the scores.
But Sydney will be breathing a huge sigh of relief after getting away with victory following a gutsy effort from the competition’s new boys.
Aloisi praised the character of his team, conceding the Fury had all the momentum in the second stanza.
“I think we were controlling the game until they scored from a set piece and then they were on top of us in the second half,” the striker said.
“We found it hard to get the ball and keep the ball … and when they got the penalty we thought it was going to be an uphill battle from there.”
“But the boys dug in deep and it was good by (Alex) Brosque to in the penalty and after that we defended well.”
After forcing their way back into the game with a goal on halftime the Fury were intent on levelling after the break, causing Sydney plenty of headaches in defence.
And 13 minutes after the resumption they did exactly that through star Fowler.
Without a hint of nerves, the former Liverpool marksman gently potted the ball past Sydney goalkeeper Clint Bolton, capitalising on a clear foul on Jason Spagnuolo inside the 18-yard box from Shannon Cole.
Sydney was still showing glimpses of class, but as the Fury dominated position and possession, had to rely on their skill in the counter attack to make inroads.
The visitors restored their advantage from the penalty spot when Aloisi took advantage of a foul on teammate Alex Brosque.
In an attempt to get to the ball, Fury custodian Paul Henderson took out the legs of Brosque, leaving the official with no option but to point to the spot.
Fury coach Ian Ferguson had no qualms with the referee’s decision, but that made the defeat no easier to take.
“Heart-breaking is the word. To go down 2-0 to Sydney and get it back to 2-2 was a massive bonus for us,” he said.
“You can’t give a team a two-goal start and expect to get something out of the game but I thought we did and then we go away and give away another silly goal, a penalty kick, it’s heart-breaking.”
The Fury looked like they had a legitimate call for a handball penalty with seven minutes remaining to possibly level the game, but Ferguson refused to get caught up in the conjecture.
“That’s football, that happens, sometimes you get them, sometimes you don’t,” he said.
In the first half, a blasting free kick from Fowler almost provided a dream start for the new franchise but for a desperate diving save by Bolton.
Seconds later it turned into a North Queensland nightmare.
As Sydney pushed the ball on the counter, Aloisi found himself one-on-one with Henderson and coolly slotted it into the net giving the visitors 1-0 lead after four minutes.
The Sky Blues continued to create the best attacking opportunities over the next 10 minutes, Karol Kisel enjoying two shots at goal, one forcing an easy save.
Sydney struck again in the 28th minute through Danning.
The 18-year-old turned Fury defender Jack Hingert inside out, breezed by and then powered a cracking low shot to the left of a diving Henderson.
But fear of opening night rout was abated for the Fury just moments before halftime as Griffiths was bestowed the honour of scoring the club’s maiden goal.
He got his head on the end of a well-placed corner cross from Spagnuolo, sending the 8897-strong local crowd into raptures.
North Queensland Fury 2 (Griffiths 41 Fowler 60p)
Sydney FC (Aloisi 4, 72p, Danning 28)
Crowd: 8,897 at Dairy Farmers Stadium
