It brought no smile to coach John Kosmina's face but Sydney fans enjoyed a consolation victory when their team soundly defeated Newcastle Jets 4-0 tonight.
There was a good turnout of fans "loyal to Newcastle" but they must have been appalled at how poorly their youthful team performed.
The match counted for little more than self-respect, which remained with Sydney as its players had fun at Newcastle's expense.
One trying to enjoy himself was Shannon Cole who deployed his Ronaldinho tricks down the left before leaving Steve Corica the task of fighting his way into the Newcastle penalty area, defying the attention of Tarek Elrich and Mark Milligan.
A new candidate for star of the future, Rhyan Grant, conceded a corner while stopping Matt Thompson collecting a one-two. Adam Griffiths was up well to meet the corner but headed to the right of goal.
Grant then started a move in his own half and was on hand to receive the ball from Alex Brosque on the edge of the Newcastle box.
In the tenth minute Brosque shot high after Mark Bridge chested down a cross from the right.
Newcastle won another corner when Brendan Gan blocked a cross from Kaz Patafta.
Corica pulled the ball back from the Newcastle goal line, nearly perfect for Brosque, who couldn't gather properly but nevertheless scored a minute later, collecting a ball from Stuart Musialik on the edge of the box, sidestepping his marker and slotting the ball inside the left post, leaving keeper Ante Covic on his knees.
Simon Colosimo in central defence looked good throughout. He still seems to move lazily but plays with eminent good sense.
Mark Milligan, always good for a boo from the Sydney crowd, looked solid in the middle for Newcastle ... at the beginning at least.
[Good for a Boo is understating it, The Cove were merciless among the chants were "Millsy, Millsy you're a c#$t", "You dirty f@&king Judas", "You'll never go to Europe" and "If you hate Millsy clap your hands". After the own goal the tune changed a little and gems such as "He's Sydney till he dies", "We love you Millsy" and "Millsy, Millsy what's the score?" were brought out. I think John Aloisi must have thought all his christmases had come at once as he wasn't being singled out... much. While we're at it the chant of "We're slightly better than you" by the cove with the teams' respective ladder position in mind was also noteworthy for its amusing honesty. -Ed]
Matthew Jurman was good defending against Brodie Mooy and Corica was heroic fighting through the much larger Antun Kovacic ... but he couldn't win out against both Kovacic and Adam D'Apuzzo.
Sydney fans wanted a penalty when Milligan brought down Grant receiving a one-two on the edge of the Newcastle penalty area, and Jin-Hyung Song made a strong run through the middle before missing both Mooy and Thompson with his ball into the Sydney penalty area.
More great work by Corica on the right side of the Newcastle box saw Cole get a chance on the left, deflected for a corner. Gan had a dig from 20 metres out.
A Cole cross from the left bounced too high in front of Corica for Sydney's captain to volley, so he tried in vain to nod the ball down past Covic.
A through ball by Gan into the right of the Newcastle box caught everyone by surprise, including Corica, who couldn't believe he was onside. Covic came out and beat him to it.
Newcastle were already being outplayed. Sydney were quicker and harder on the ball.
Iain Fyfe tried to even things up by swinging crosses over the Newcastle goal line a couple of times. Thompson and Kovacic just had air-swings.
Elrichhad a shot that meant Ivan Necevski actually had to get down on the ground to stop the ball.
Cole used more of his fast feet skills to beat his marker but then couldn't deliver a pass.
In the 40th minute Bridge deftly set the ball down in the path of Brosque so he could get his second goal.
A minute later Corica robbed Griffiths and had a run at goal. Covic blocked his shot, Bridge had a follow-up attempt on the rebound, but Covic blocked that too.
Gan was sent free on a Sydney counter but either had a rush of blood or was entertaining the idea that anyone could score against Newcastle ... he tried to catch Covic off his line from 30 metres instead of using support over to his right.
Brosque, too, had a decent enough long, low shot, but copped a reprimand from Corica for not moving to make better use of Sydney's advantage down the right in the build up.
Jurman was good forcing away a cross from Patafta on the left.
Griffiths, not having his mind on the game, was replaced by Jarrad Ross at half time.
When the second half began Colosimo was very good tackling on the edge of the Sydney box and then calmly passing out of danger.
Cole gave the ball away to a Newcastle defender. "That's woeful," said a fan nearby me.
Another problem for Sydney (although minor in the circumstances) was Necevski's inability to kick balls played back to him.
Corica set up Bridge for a seemingly easy chance in front of goal, but Bridge took too long and was shut down by Milligan and Kovacic. A guy in front of me responded with: "Come on Bridge. When /can/ you score, Bridge?"
Corica, Bridge and Brosque combined for another opportunity. Newcastle were nowhere. As though they were standing back, thinking, "Let's just see how Sydney will attack us this time."
In the 62nd minute John Aloisi replaced Corica who received a standing ovation from fans fearful they might not see him again in Sydney's light blue strip.
Sydney missed another half dozen chances in about 30 seconds, one coming off the crossbar.
Cole hit a lovely curling cross to Aloisi in the right of the Newcastle box. Aloisi was eventually ruled offside but why did he lay the ball back when he was in a good striking position himself? Perhaps it was the rules of some toying game the Sydney players had set themselves, to make it more interesting.
Song was replaced immediately after making a successful solo effort from the top right corner of the Sydney box and shooting just left of goal.
Cole wasted a cross and was replaced by new darling of the fans Kofi Danning, who beat himself, lost possession, but still managed to get round Ross and cross. Then Danning won a corner off Ross while chasing a long ball down the left.
James Virgili got into a good position at the top left corner of the Sydney penalty area but hit a soft shot to Necevski.
Brosque got on the end of a long clearance but sprayed his shot high. Then he set up Danning for a missed chance in the left of the box.
Aloisi seemed to be doing nothing. But, just as I was thinking that, I saw Milligan tracking back with him. Then, no, Milligan was ignoring Aloisi on his own outside the Newcastle penalty area. Milligan wandered off to vaguely cover his left back challenging Fyfe down the right.
Aloisi must have been thinking his time had come. Something to do. But Milligan ruined everything. Caught in no man's land when the cross came in, all he could do to deny Aloisi a chance was to turn the ball into his own net.
Either way, Sydney were leading 3-0.
It should have been 4-0 when Danning had another chance from the left of the penalty area. But Covic blocked his shot and then denied Brosque trying to walk the rebound over the line.
Newcastle were unable to keep the ball. If they didn't lose it in every tackle they encountered they simply passed it away.
Grant cut back a lovely cross from the line to the left of goal. Aloisi headed onto the crossbar.
Sydney often had five players along the top of the Newcastle penalty area, waiting to see who would get a chance at the next shot. Aloisi had a stab from the left but it was headed off the line.
Quick count. Were Newcastle playing with nine men? Or was it just that every Newcastle player was defending a "zone" which the Sydney players never went near?
Brosque got the ball in from the left but his cross was blocked by a defender on the ground. Bridge was on hand to bundle the ball into the net. Four-nil.
Kosmina, with no pleasure after the match, said it was a good performance by Sydney. Colosimo was outstanding at the back, he said, and Bridge and Brosque combined well.
He said Grant was everywhere and he, like many of the kids in the team, had a bright future.
He said Sydney knocked the stuffing out of Newcastle early. "I don't know if the white flag went up, but it wasn't far from it."
Brosque told the post match media conference that the Sydney players had been enjoying themselves. They thought it had been important that players leaving the club were sent off on a good note.
Gary van Egmond said his team was undermanned and outplayed. They were lucky the score was only 4, he said. It was a baptism of fire for the younger players put in because of necessity.
Soon to face stiff competition in the Asian Champions League, he said Newcastle needed to ensure it had decent recruits (perhaps six) and that there was a better outcome from established players.