Newcastle Jets suffered a 2-0 defeat away to Sydney FC in the club’s Hyundai A-League 2015/16 round 14 match at ANZ Stadium on Saturday.
Goals in either half to Sydney attackers Filip Holosko and Ali Abbas earned the Sky Blues all three A-League points, and consolidated their place in the competition’s top four.
The Jets remain in eighth place on the A-League ladder, four points adrift of the top six.
Newcastle conjured some moments of promise and opportunity throughout the encounter held at Sydney Olympic Park, however could not make the most of their chances when they came.
Milos Trifunovic sent an effort just wide of Vedran Janjetovic’s right post in the first 45, and also looped a header wide of the mark in the second stanza.
Jets substitute Mitch Cooper burst forward in the 68th minute of play, and while Newcastle’s number 14 evaded his defender his left foot strike flew wide of the target.
Holosko opened the scoring in the 15th minute when he sent a crisp shot beyond the advancing Mark Birighitti after being played through by fellow European Milos Ninkovic.
And Sydney doubled their advantage and ultimately sealed all three points ten minutes from time when Abbas’ low strike on the angle nestled in the back of the net.
Sydney FC 2 (Holosko 15’, Abbas 80’)
Newcastle Jets 0
ANZ Stadium, Homebush, Sydney
Referee: Jonathan Barreiro
Attendance: 15,137
Newcastle Jets: 1. Mark Birighitti (Gk), 2. Daniel Mullen, 3. Jason Hoffman (22. Lachlan Jackson 87’), 4. Nigel Boogaard (C), 5. Ben Kantarovski (6. Cameron Watson 81’), 7. Enver Alivodic, 8. Mateo Poljak, 9. Milos Trifunovic, 23. David Carney, 24. Nicholas Cowburn, 28. Ryan Kitto (14. Mitch Cooper 46’)
Substitutes not used: 20. Ben Kennedy (Gk), 27. Braedyn Crowley
Yellow cards: Carney
Red cards: Nil
Sydney FC: 1. Vedran Janjetovic (Gk), 2. Sebastian Ryall, 5. Matthew Jurman, 8. Milos Dimitrijevic, 10. Milos Ninkovic, 11. Christopher Naumoff (6. Robert Stambolziev 67’), 19. Jaques Faty, 21. Filip Holosko (22. Ali Abbas 72’), 23. Rhyan Grant, 24. George Blackwood (18. Matt Simon 64’), 27. Mikael Tavares
Substitutes not used: 9. Shane Smeltz, 20. Ivan Necevski (Gk)
Yellow cards: Nil
Red cards: Nil