Sky Blues get hold of FFA Cup
ONCE, twice, three times a champion – Sydney FC have the lot.
The Sky Blues added the FFA Cup to the A- League double they achieved last season with a 2- 1 defeat of Adelaide, completing the set and expunging the memory of losing last year’s final.
Goals for Milos Ninkovic and Bobo settled a frenetic, high- octane final, with Nikola Mileusnic’s equaliser not enough for the visitors.
In front of 13,452 fans, it was a fitting climax to the knockout competition.
The early movement was quick and inventive, the ball switched around at speed. Adrian Mierzejewski, restored to the starting line- up after weeks of hamstring trouble, was in the mood to make up for lost time and many of Sydney’s better moves involved him.
The Pole’s passing range is short and long – time and again he drifted infield and looked to breach the Adelaide lines with a cute pass. It was his through ball that sent Bobo clear in the 17th minute, only for Paul Izzo to race from his box and deny the Brazilian.
The irony was that Mierzejewski wasn’t involved when Sydney did take the lead. Wilkshire’s quick throw on halfway allowed Bobo to turn and flick the ball on to Alex Brosque.
Instantly the Sydney captain slid the ball into the path of Ninkovic, unseen by Adelaide’s defence as he drifted towards their box.
Ninkovic still had work to do, but with an elegant shimmy Michael Marrone was bypassed and the ball was stroked home to open the scoring.
It was a lead they deserved, and yet Adelaide had shown early that they had the wherewithal to pierce Sydney’s rearguard when Mileusnic’s low cross found Ryan Kitto but the
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youngster’s shot was charged down by Andrew Redmayne when a goal seemed certain.
Recharged by the break, Adelaide came back again. Ben Garuccio thundered a freekick into the Sydney bar and United raised the tempo until they found a breakthrough. It was an equally splendid goal, Ersan Gulum switching play with a raking pass towards the right of Sydney’s box.
Mileusnic stepped around Michael Zullo and curled the ball into the top corner.
Quite how Adelaide didn’t take the lead on 101 minutes was anyone’s guess. Mark Ochieng’s dribble into the box opened space for a low cross that somehow Karim Matmour stabbed wide of the goal – so wide it stayed in, only for Ochieng himself to then shoot over when the ball was returned again.
Their disbelief deepened 10 minutes later when Sydney grabbed the lead back via Bobo.