The Newcastle Jets have been defeated 4-0 by Sydney FC at the Sydney Football Stadium this evening in the final game of the Hyundai A-League 2008/09 season for the two clubs.
The Newcastle Jets have been defeated 4-0 by Sydney FC at the Sydney Football Stadium this evening in the final game of the Hyundai A-League 2008/09 season for the two clubs.
Sydney got off to a flying start when Alex Brosque netted the first goal of the game on 13 minutes. The home side won the ball deep inside the Jets- half, and Brosque-s scything run culminated in an accurate left-footed strike only six yards out from goal.
The visitors had to wait until the 34th minute before their first strike on target, when dynamic right-back Tarek Elrich pushed forward and hit a stinging low drive from 25 yards out. However, Sydney-s custodian, and one-time Newcastle Jets goalkeeper, Ivan Necevski held the shot well.
Six minutes later and Brosque sealed his brace, after playing some inventive one-touch football with fellow striker Mark Bridge on the edge of the Jets- penalty box. Brosque was then left one-on-one with Ante Covic, and the lanky marksman made no mistake from close range.
The Jets looked to peg a goal back just 10 minutes into the second stanza when Korean import Jin-Hyung Song held off his marker inside the FC area, but the diminutive midfielder pushed his shot just wide.
The Jets- hopes of getting back into the game were dashed in the 76th minute when stalwart Sydney defender Iain Fyfe stole the ball deep inside Jets territory before whipping in a cross that was deflected in by former Sydney FC utility Mark Milligan.
Five minutes from full-time and Bridge capped the win when he latched onto a loose ball and tapped-in from close range, after the original shot from Brosque was blocked by Milligan into Bridge-s path.
“We-re obviously undermanned, and we went down to a goal early on then it snowballed from there. We then went down two (goals) and if we scored the next goal we probably would have got ourselves back in the game,” Jets Head Coach Gary van Egmond said.
“It was probably not the greatest performance but considering who we had out there it-s going to be a little bit harsh on the younger kids, it-s a real baptism of fire for a few of them, it-s just a matter of them learning from that and looking to see how they respond to it,” he added.
The game was the Jets- last for the Hyundai A-League 2008/09 season, but the team from the Hunter region will return to action in March when they begin their maiden AFC Champions League campaign.
Match Details:
Sydney FC Squad: 2. Iain FYFE, 4. Simon COLOSIMO, 8. Stuart MUSIALIK, 10. Steve CORICA (c) (23. John ALOISI 61-), 12. Shannon COLE (35. Kofi DANNING 68-), 14. Alex BROSQUE, 19. Mark BRIDGE, 20. Ivan NECEVSKI (gk), 27. Matthew JURMAN, 32. Brendan GAN, 34. Rhyan GRANT (15. Terry McFLYNN 86-)
Unused substitutes: 1. Clint BOLTON (gk)
Yellow cards: Iain Fyfe 21-
Red cards: Nil
Newcastle Jets Squad: 1.Ante COVIC (gk), 2. Adam GRIFFITHS (28. Jarrad ROSS 45-), 7. Kaz PATAFTA (27. Jesse PINTO 87-), 8. Matt THOMPSON (c), 10. Jin-Hyung SONG (31. James VIRGILI 67-), 11. Tarek ELRICH, 13. Adam D-APUZZO, 16. Ben KANTAROVSKI, 17. Antun KOVACIC, 26. Mark MILLIGAN, 32. Brodie MOOY
Unused substitutes: 30. Justin PASFIELD (gk)
Yellow cards: Nil
Red cards: Nil
Sydney FC: 4 (Brosque 13-/40-, Milligan 76- (o.g.), Bridge 85-)
Newcastle Jets: 0
Crowd: 9551
Referee: Kevin Docherty
