Experience was the difference as Sydney FC played their best match so far to defeat the Queensland Roar 3-1. The Roar's numerous missed chances and Sydney's pragmatism told in the end, as well as two defensive errors by the home team.
From the opening whistle Sydney FC looked like a team desperate for points. In the first minute Yorke chested down ball down on the edge of the area and laid it off to McFlynn, who had a striker at goal.
Sydney's pressing on the Roar was bothering the Queenslanders, as they could not get into their rhythm. Five minutes in and a terrible blunder by Seo Huyk-Su fell straight to Steve Corica. Corica ran straight to goal and deftly chipped the ball over Thomas Willis to put Sydney into the lead.
Sydney were hounding the Roar goal in the opening minutes, and only seconds after the goal David Carney forced Willis into save from a shot outside the area.
The Roar were stilling find it difficult to get their passing game going but in the 10th minute a Seo cross found Brownlie unmarked in the area, but his header went well wide. It took another 10 minutes for the Roar to get there again when Dilevski latched on to a knock down, but scuffed his shot wide.
The Roar were losing many balls in midfield and Sydney were taking advantage of that, trying to release Yorke on the counter attack. On the half hour a corner from Talay was met by the head of Petrovski, but Dodd got in the way to force a corner. Only minutes later Brownlie turned his marker and had space on the edge of the area. Baird came flying through but his shot was poorly hit and went well wide.
Jonathan Ricther came on for Royce Brownlie in the 37th minute and Richter's pace started to rattle the Sydney siders, but still not goal scoring chances were created in the first half.
Stern words from Miron Bleiberg at half time meant the Roar came out firing in the second half. But their youthful exuberance was taken advantage of when Ufuk Talay found himself one on one with Willis, but Remo Buess cleared his shot off the line.
From the resulting play Baird squared the ball to Warren Moon in the box, who was tackled, but the Roar somehow managed a corner. Josh McCloughan got his head to it, and Jacob Timpano's miss hit clearance fell into Clint Bolton's goal. The Roar now looked the more dangerous of the two.
The introduction of Alex Brosque for Moon just after the goal galvanized the home side. Their slick passing and movement was in full sway and they barraged the Sydney goal.
In the 55th minute Richter cut inside and passed to Baird on the edge of the area. His shot however, went straight at Bolton. The Roar kept throwing players forward, and in the 64th minute a superb run by Alex Brosque as he left Andrew Packer for dead and his cross found Richter in the area. But Richter hit a tame shot straight at Bolton.
For all Roar's attacking they couldn't find a way through, and as the Portuguese say, if you don't score you let one in. In the 67th minute a Sydney FC corner was punched out by Willis. Steve Corica hit a superb volley from outside the box and Sydney were back in the lead.
The Roar were stunned. Five minutes later and Willis passed the ball straight to Sasho Petrovski. He played it to McFlynn on the edge of the area, and his superb chip beat Willis to put Sydney up 3-1. The 23 000 Roar fans were left stunned by the goal.
The Roar began playing more with the hearts than their minds and were easily repelled by the improved Sydney defence. In the 80th minute a Corica free kick was flicked on by Yorke, but no one was able to latch on and the ball went wide.
A minute later and Dilevski found himself with space, he delivered a cross to Baird but his header went straight to Bolton. In the final minutes the Roar tried desperately to pull a goal back. In the 88th Brosque hit a shot straight at Bolton. Then Chad Gibson saw his free kick whistle over the bar.
A minute later and fantastic football by Alex Brosque had the Roar fans on the edge of their seats. Brosque latched onto a ball on half way, ran straight at the Sydney defence and hit a superb shot, but Bolton somehow managed to get his fingertips to the ball to force a corner. Brosque then hit a last minute free kick just wide of the upright.
The Roar's missed opportunities came back to haunt them in the end, but Sydney FC should be happy with is their best performance so far.
Miron Bleiberg blamed the lack of experience for his side's loss.
"When you're young and inexperienced, that's what happens."
Josh McCloughan was a little harsher, and said that it was the worst first half the team had played.
Pierre Littbarski was very happy with his team's performance.
"After losing two games we needed the points, and they were really impressive tonight."
The Roar now have daunting task of traveling to Newcastle next weekend, while Sydney FC make another tough trip to Perth.