Sydney triumph after gritty City challenge

A-LEAGUE high flyers Sydney FC have stretched their unbeaten run to five matches but have been made to work overtime by an unlucky Melbourne City before securing a feisty 3-1 comeback victory at Allianz Stadium.

Two Sydney goals within minutes approaching halftime proved pivotal last night, as the Sky Blues forged ahead in front of 10,688 spectators.

While the win strengthened Sydney FC’s hold on top spot, there was little of the silky football on display in last weekend’s 5-0 Sydney derby win.

City proved a gritty opponent and could easily have shared the spoils with a dose of luck, but it might prove a costly night for the Victorians with prolific striker Ross McCormack forced off with a muscle injury. McCormack spurned a gilt-edged chance approaching the quarter-hour mark, and his match was over after 30 minutes with the league’s leading scorer suffering an apparent calf injury.

City stifled the Sky Blues in the opening half and had their reward seven minutes before halftime with a goal awarded with the assistance of a video review. Luke Bratton’s shot from near the penalty spot bounced off the underside of the bar.

But the tide turned within a matter of minutes. Sydney’s inform midfielder Adrian Mierzejewski proved last week’s sparkling free-kick goal against Western Sydney was no fluke by equalising with a carbon-copy strike in the 44th minute. The Pole curved his 25-metre shot into the top corner of the goal, albeit with a slight deflection.

Sydney FC were in front before the halftime whistle blew as Bart Schenkeveld bundled over Dutch compatriot Jordy Buijs inside the penalty area and Brazilian striker Bobo easily converted the spot-kick.

City were forced to play the final 20 minutes with 10 men after Manny Muscat was dismissed when the video review again intervened to determine that his elbow on Michael Zullo was worthy of a red card.

A fierce Alex Brosque strike finally took it out to 3-1 with the last kick of the match. AAP