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Gold Coast United 1-0 Sydney FC: Smeltz Sinks Docile Sky Blues

It was a rather docile Sydney side who turned up and were comfortably beaten by the embattled franchise in front of a disappointing crowd at Skilled Park.

Nov 7, 2009 12:03:59 PM

Shane Smeltz, Gold Coast United v Sydney FC (Getty Images)

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Shane Smeltz, Gold Coast United v Sydney FC (Getty Images)

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Gold Coast United 1-0 Sydney FC, Lineups/Stats
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The Gold Coast United scored a relieving 1-0 victory over visiting league leaders Sydney FC in their Round 14 A-League clash at Skilled Park tonight, in front of 5364 people.

A quite disastrous week had seen United follow up a 6-0 thumping at the hands of the Wellington Phoenix with a 2-0 home loss to the North Queensland Fury in front of under 3,000 people, the low crowd the result of a controversial crowd cap imposed by owner Clive Palmer.

That cap has since been lifted, with Football Federation Australia now in charge of ticket pricing and marketing at the new club and their latest victory perhaps lays the platform for a more fruitful rest of the season.

Despite the relatively fluid football on display neither side looked like breaking down the other during the opening stages, Jason Culina coming closest in the 23rd minute with a curling free-kick that squeezed through a cluster of bodies in the area before being deflected away by the left boot of Clint Bolton at the last moment.

Building momentum, United next had a seemingly legitimate penalty appeal turned down when Shane Smeltz appeared to be illegally nudged off the ball by Shannon Cole as he looked to convert Steve Fitzsimmons’ half-volleyed cross from close range, his header flashing across the face of goal.

Referee Ben Williams wasn’t going to stop the home side taking a deserved lead on 36 minutes though as the influential Culina produced a superb run and centre down the right flank, Smeltz powering home a header after arriving late at the far post.

Socceroo Culina had spoken about dressing room unrest at United earlier in the week, the negative effects of a controversial crowd cap supposedly having filtered their way down onto the pitch and perhaps it contributed to a rather more aggressive attitude undertaken by the Australia international and his teammates.

They were certainly keen to play the role of the aggressors in what was turning out to be a physical contest, Pantelidis and a heavily bandaged McFlynn first clashing, followed by a heated debate and shirt-tugging episode between Culina himself and Stuart Musialik.

Culina and Musialik clashed afterwards, grabbing at each others shirts, perhaps a reflection of both the frustration and determination in a fiery contest that saw Pantelidis similarly clash with a bandaged McFlynn.

In terms of pure football, United were continuing to carve out opportunities for themselves by virtue of a greater width and fluidity in their game, stretching the Sky Blues defence.

They should have doubled their advantage on 40 minutes, the Zenon Caravella failing to properly connect however from close range with a Joel Porter cross, Bolton’s outstretched left boot again saving his side.

A similar pattern of play resumed immediately after the restart as Porter forced the veteran ‘keeper into a sharp save at his near post but from then on it was a rather more docile display by the home side, who afforded their opposition more space in the final third as they gradually dropped deeper.

For their part though Sydney were struggling to get enough men forward to trouble their opponents, their best chance coming via a long ball by Byun into the box, Brosque getting in-behind the United defenders but failing to direct a difficult bouncing ball on target.

Bolton meanwhile continued to keep his side in the game with saves from a potentially dangerous Jason Culina free-kick and then the adventurous Anderson, though Sydney would have the best of the remaining chances.

The otherwise anonymous Mark Bridge first drilled the ball across the face of goal on 77 minutes, substitute John Aloisi failing to stretch and divert the ball into an empty net, before the former was given the space to half-volley the ball straight at ‘keeper Scott Higgins in the final minute of the match.

It was ultimately though a comfortable victory for the embattled new franchise as things yet again tighten up at the top of the A-League table.

Chris Paraskevas, Goal.com

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