Strong Support, Valuable Lessons in Round Two
We went down 2-1 to Sydney United 58 FC at Seymour Shaw on Saturday afternoon in what was a hard-fought contest, in front of an outstanding home crowd.
We started with energy and intent. Both sides forced early saves inside the opening minutes, setting the tone for a fast and physical encounter.
Takumi Ofuka taking on Sydney United players
We controlled much of the early possession, probing and looking to break United down. Against the run of play, the visitors found the opener in the 19th minute with a well-taken strike from the edge of the area.
Our response was immediate and positive. Jordan Perez delivered a sharp first-time ball into the box, and Lachlan MacDonald rose strongly to power his header across goal and into the net. It was a deserved equaliser and a reflection of the pressure we were building.
Lachlan MacDonald scoring the equaliser against Janjetovic
Just before half-time, United were reduced to ten men following an off-the-ball incident. That left us with the numerical advantage for the entire second half.
To their credit, Sydney United 58 adjusted well. They sat deep, defended in numbers and looked to counter, making it difficult for us to find space in the final third. Despite our control of territory and sustained pressure, they regained the lead in the 62nd minute from a corner.
From there, we pushed, circulated the ball and asked questions, but United’s low block proved difficult to break down. There were moments, half-chances and plenty of effort, but we were unable to find the equaliser. Even Nizic was up for our last corner as we strived to equalise.
Danijel Nizic going up for a corner in the 90th minute
It was also a costly afternoon on the injury front, with both Danny Choi and Jordan Perez forced off. We will assess them during the week.
While we are still searching for our first win of the season, there are clear signs of progress within a new group that is continuing to gel. These are learning moments, and we will take them on board as we build cohesion and sharpen our edge in key moments.
Most importantly, we want to thank everyone who turned out to support us. The atmosphere at Seymour Shaw was exceptional, and your energy never dipped. We feel that backing and we are determined to reward it.
We reset, we recover, and we go again.
We play St George FC at home this Saturday, 21st Feb, at 5:30pm.