Rare Wilkinson goal gives Sydney FC A-League win over Newcastle Jets

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:08 am

Sydney FC captain Alex Wilkinson's first goal for the club and first A-league score in over a decade earned his side a come-from-behind 2-1 home win over Newcastle Jets and got goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne out of jail.

The Sky Blues trailed at half-time after Socceroos representative Redmayne hacked a clearance straight to 20-year-old midfielder Luka Prso, who moved forward and clinically curled the ball around the keeper to score his first A-League goal.

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Substitute Milos Ninkovic equalised in the 64th minute and Wilkinson secured Sydney's third win in seven home games this season. The victory lifted them four spots to third, while Newcastle remain in 11th place after recording a third straight loss.

Defender Wilkinson's downward bouncing header from an 80th minute Like Brattan corner beat goalkeeper Jack Duncan and two defenders behind the line. It was the 36-year-old's first A-League goal since 2010 and only the seventh score of a career spanning almost two decades and well over 500 club and international matches.

"It was a terrible header and somehow it just managed to go in, but I'll take it," Wilkinson told Fox Sports.

Redmayne was a standout in Sydney's back-to-back title wins In the last two seasons but has made a number of errors this season.

"It's a mistake again by Redders, which we need to fix up but the boys showed great character to get him out of jail," Sydney coach Steve Corica said. "I'm not happy with the mistakes he's making, definitely not, but goalkeepers can't hide.

"They make one mistake and it's in the back of the net and unfortunately he's made a few of them this season. But I will say in the second half he did well. He came out for a couple of balls to punch and he caught a couple as well and that shows a good goalkeeper, just getting on with the game after he's made that mistake."

Sydney FC captain Alex Wilkinson was the unlikely match-winner.
Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Corica made three substitutions in the 54th minute to galvanise his side, with Bobo, Ninkovic and Patrick Wood all making an impact off the bench. The lively Wood made a surging run through the middle and passed to Ninkovic, who cut inside and drilled a shot across the goalkeeper and into the far corner.

Sydney had nine shots to five in the first half, but had only one on target compared to the Jets' four.

Newcastle coach Craig Deans said Sydney's substitutes made the difference, but was disappointed because he felt his side hadn't played badly.

"For all the possession we had in the first half we didn't create enough chances," Deans said. "The ones we did we were a little off with the finish or being a bit more positive with our attempts to score goals."