Sydney FC clinched three points in the 87th minute to beat Adelaide United 3-2 win in round one of the A-League at Coopers Stadium.
The first half started slowly as both sides tried to put the three and a half month off season behind them.
VAR halted proceedings twenty minutes in and after a referee check – a penalty was awarded for a perceived Michael Jakobsen handball.
Up stepped Adam Le Fondre and just like last season, he slotted the ball past Paul Izzo.
The Reds looked to respond straight away. Geroge blackwood burst forward on the left and flashed the ball across goal to Ben Halloran – who hit the post from a very tight angle.
The champions responded five minutes later by doubling their lead. The 2016/17 Johnny Warren medallist, Milos Ninkovic received the ball on the edge of the area and expertly found Alex Baumjohann – who cleverly squared it to Le Fondre and he tapped it in for his second.
Riley McGree came closest for United in the 35th minute as he hammered a shot towards goal after he was found unmarked in the box by Al Hassan Toure.
One minute before the break, Adelaide United pulled a goal back through a precision Nikola Mileusnic freekick – handing the pessimistic Reds a half time lifeline.
United could not have asked for a better start to the second half as Toure equalised on his A-League debut. It was a cleverly dinked ball over the top of the Sydney defence from McGree and Toure made no mistake in front of goal.
VAR looked to spoil the Reds party but after what seemed like an eternity, the goal was awarded by referee Alex King.
In the 57th minute, Ryan Strain failed to deal with a through ball and allowed Le Fondre a run at goal. Strain then clumsily brought him down on the edge of the area and received a straight red card.
The sky blues thought they had instantly capitalised on their numerical advantage and restored their lead but Kosta Barbarouses’s goal was ruled offside by VAR – handing the Reds yet another lifeline.
in the 68th minute, Le Fondre again fed Barbarouses through on the right and his effort at goal was cleared off the line by Reds captain Jakobsen.
Steve Corica threw Anthony Caceres on with 15 minutes to go in search of a winner for the Sky Blues.
United responded by substituting their goal scorer Toure and replaced him with Norwegian striker Kristian Opseth.
Opseth looked to make himself an instant Adelaide hero as he stood over a free-kick with ten minutes to go until he fired it well over the bar.
With five minutes to go, the Adelaide born, Ryan McGowan plunged the dagger into United as he headered the ball past Izzo from a corner.
The Reds tried to find a late equaliser but could not get past a resilient Sydney defence.
The match finished 3-2 and the night belonged to Sydney FC, who on the night were a class above.
Adelaide United 2 (Mileusnic 44’, Toure 51’)
Sydney FC 3 (Le Fondre (P) 22’, 28’, McGowan 87’)
Coopers Stadium
Attendance: 9903
Referee: Alex King
Assistant Referees: Mathew Cream & Paul Cetrangolo
Fourth Official: Daniel Elder
Adelaide United: Paul IZZO (GK), Jordan ELSEY, Michael JAKOBSON (C), Ben HALLORAN, Ryan KITTO, Riley MCGREE, Ryan STRAIN, Louis D’ARRIGO (Michaël MARIA 67’), George BLACKWOOD, Nikola MILEUSNIC (Michael MARRONE 60’), Al Hassan TOURE (Kristian OPSETH 77’)
Unused subs: Isaac RICHARDS (GK), Vince LIA
Sydney FC: Tom HEWARD-BELLE (GK), Ryan MCGOWAN, Alex WILKINSON (C), Alex BAUMJOHANN (Anthony CACERES 75’), Brandon O’NEILL, Luke BRATTAN, Milos NINKOVIC, Paulo RETRE, Joel KING, Kosta BARBAROUSES (Luke IVANOVIC 90+1’), Adam LE FONDRE
Unused subs: Tristan PRENDERGAST (GK), Jordi SWIBEL, Harry VAN DER SAAG
Feature image credit: Jaime Castaneda
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