Sydney FC survived some late scares to record a 4-1 win over North Queensland Fury at the Sydney Football Stadium tonight. An Alex Brosque double guided the Sky Blues back to the winners list after a disappointing loss last week whilst the Fury fell back into their early-season trap of poor defending.
Sydney FC: 4 (John Aloisi '14, Alex Brosque '18, '57, Steve Corica '64) North Queensland Fury: 1 (Terry Cooke '61) Venue:Sydney Football Stadium Crowd: 11,871
The visitors went very close to grabbing an opener in just the third minute when striker Daniel McBreen almost produced a spectacular moment with an acrobatic left-foot volley from outside the area but luckily for Sydney goalkeeper Clint Bolton, the Englishman's shot dropped just over the crossbar.
Sydney themselves went close when Alex Brosque whipped down the right flank before cutting back in the box and attempted to lay it off for John Aloisi but the Fury defence swarmed and knocked the ball to safety.
Thirteen minutes in, Brosque turned swiftly on the edge of the box, opened up the angle and hit his shot goalward but Fury keeper Justin Pasfield made a full-length diving save.
From the ensuing corner, there was a goalmouth scramble which the Fury temporarily saw off before Sydney's Karol Kisel knocked a long-ball in to the area which was won in the air by defender Stephan Keller and Steve Corica was on hand to lay it out in front of Aloisi who rammed it home with his right foot from close range to give his side the lead.
Four minutes later, the Sky Blues were 2-0 up when the veteran Corica played through Brosque after some hard work up the field by Aloisi and the recently called up Socceroos striker shimmied his way forward before being brought down in the area by a good challenge but as he came down, he managed to get his right foot to it with some quick thinking and into the back of former Sky Blue Pasfield's net.
The first half-hour saw plenty of attacking football at the Sydney Football Stadium with most being done by the home side and it was close to being 3-0 when Brosque, who was causing the Fury plenty of problems, hit his close range shot inches wide.
Slovakian midfielder Kisel was causing problems of his own down the right side and almost supplied both Aloisi and Brosque with their second goals with crosses from the flank as he made his intentions for possible World Cup selection clear.
In the 43rd minute, Sydney forayed forward again through an unlikely source in Keller but English defender Matt Smith flew in for a strong challenge that took all ball and kept his side in the contest which the Fury almost got back in on the stroke of half-time when Smith's countryman Terry Cooke whipped in a shot from outside the area that bent around Bolton's upright.
Sydney begun the second half cautiously but that was allayed in the 57th minute when Corica sent in a pinpoint aerial ball from a free-kick which an unmarked Brosque met with his head and put away with class making it 3-0.
A few moments later, the Fury got one back after a Terry Cooke cross from the left flank went past everyone and bounced into the back of the net to get themselves back into the equation but the home side got a fourth three minutes later through Corica who reached his 20-goal milestone with a header from close range.
With just over ten minutes remaining, North Queensland's David Williams was extremely close to adding a second for his side but his header swung wide of the mark after beating Bolton who was left stranded in the six-yard box.
The Fury tried gallantly to get themselves back in the contest in the final ten minutes but were unable to pierce the Sydney defence and the home side came away with a solid win from a scintillating performance.
