Sydney secure scrappy A-League win over Victory

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:07 am

Sydney FC had to dig in to defeat a plucky Melbourne Victory 1-0 in their A-League clash at the Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.

Defending champions Sydney were fancied to put a score on the struggling visitors, who sacked coach Grant Brebner after a 7-0 thumping by Melbourne City less than two weeks ago.

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But their gutsy win against Western Sydney seemed like more of a marker for Victory on Tuesday night as they pushed the Sky Blues all the way.

It took only six minutes for Sydney to open up the scoring when Luke Brattan delivered to the far post for Bobo to comfortably beat goalkeeper Matthew Acton.

Veteran Victory defender Leigh Broxham, who has appeared in a record 43 "Big Blue" encounters between the teams, was poor at points.

But the Victory's defence tightened up thereafter and, despite some presentable chances, Sydney couldn't break through again.

Bobo
Bobo
Mark Witte/Getty Images

Kosta Barbarouses had two efforts saved before the break for Sydney while Lleyton Brooks looked dangerous with a superb assist and then a snappy shot for the Victory.

Brooks was at it again with a searing header that struck the outside of the post in the 52nd minute, but from there it was largely one-way traffic as Barbarouses and replacement Milos Ninkovic had a bag of chances that failed to end in goals.

Acton was superb in goal for the visitors, pulling off superb back-to-back saves from Barbarouses and Ryan McGowan, the first from a lofted kick and the second from a well-directed header even better.

"Excellent," caretaker coach Steve Kean said of Acton. "He's made big saves at big times to keep us in the game.

"And that's another message we've said -- stay in the game, you never know, you could get something in the end."

Sydney coach Steve Corica, who felt his side had played better in their preceding three consecutive draws, couldn't muster up much sympathy for Victory who fell to their seventh straight loss to the Sky Blues.

"I don't feel sorry for them -- I just want our club to keep winning," he said.

The win moves Sydney into second on 31 points while Victory (14 points) stay in 11th, one point ahead of Newcastle.