A dominant display from Sydney FC saw the Sky Blues secure a remarkable 3-1 win over English Premier League opponents West Ham United.
A brace from young striker Corey Gameiro and a well taken goal from Alex Brosque were enough to see off the EPL giants and give Head Coach Graham Arnold his second win in three pre-season games.
A solitary goal from West Ham came from a deflected Matt Jarvis cross as they rarely threatened the Sky Blues who were full value for their win.
Head Coach Graham Arnold said: “I’ve been saying to the boys that results don’t matter at this stage of the season. Of course it’s great to win the game but there are no points or trophy for it.
“It’s about us getting better every time we step on the pitch and playing to the game plan and progressing as a team.
“I think we are only at 30 per cent physically where we should be and I thought we played better against Newcastle except we got punished for our mistakes,” Arnold continued.
“That gave us the chance to look at a DVD of the game and correct some mistakes which against weaker opposition we could have got away with.
“The boys tightened up a lot more today defensively and I thought it was an excellent performance. That’s what I’m looking at the performance rather than the result,” he concluded.
Sydney FC Head Coach Graham Arnold made two changes to the starting line up from the team that played against Newcastle United in Dunedin four days earlier.
Matt Jurman and Milos Dimitrijevic came into the team to give them some game time at the expense of Alex Gersbach and Nick Carle who dropped to the bench.
Pedj Bojic, Hagi Gligor and Christopher Naumoff all came onto the bench, Bojic having returned from an ankle knock and Gligor and Naumoff from Young Socceroos duty.
The Sky Blues were under pressure in the first minute with Janjetovic making a blocking save from a Diame shot on the edge of the box and it was from that chance that Sydney FC went in front.
Abbas picked up the loose ball and drove into the West Ham half. The Iraqi international fed Gameiro in behind the West Ham defence and the former Fulham man controlled well and struck a fierce shot beyond Adrian to give the Sky Blues the lead.
The goal was good for Sydney FC who began passing the ball around well and rarely looking in trouble against their Premier League opponents, restricting the Hammers to long range shots and hopeful crosses into the box.
The Sky Blues almost went further ahead when Seb Ryall made room down the right hand side of the box and crossed to Ibini who looked to shoot but got the ball stuck under his feet before he could get the shot away.
However the Sky Blues weren’t to be denied and got their second on 25 minutes. Ibini took control of the ball inside the West Ham half and switched the ball to the unmarked Brosque just outside the edge of the box.
The striker controlled it with his left foot and fired a perfect shot across the West Ham keeper into the bottom right hand corner. Sydney FC were 2-0 up against their Premier League opponents.
The goal woke up the Hammers slightly and Downing had a couple of long range efforts blocked by Sydney FC challenges while a one two with Cresswell and Cole led to the former shooting just wide of the post.
However Sydney FC could not be broken and went in 2-0 up at the break.
The Hammers pulled one back early in the second period through a lucky deflection. Jarvis made room down the West Ham left hand side and struck a cross which took a deflection off the shoulder of Petkovic and
looped over Janjetovic and into the empty net on 50 minutes.
Some god interplay between Abbas, Carle, Antonis and Gameiro put the former Phoenix man free on goal in the left channel but the angle for the shot was tight and he could only fire his shot into the side netting.
The Sky Blues were looking more spritely than their Premier League opponents at this stage and Triantis shaved the top of the bar with a long range effort.
Sydney FC increased their lead on 65 minutes as Gameiro doubled his tally. Antonis broke clear down the right and was allowed to continue despite the suspicion of a handball. He nudged the ball inside to put Gameiro clear on goal and the striker took his time to coolly round Adrian and fire home to make it 3-1 to the Sky Blues.
Gameiro almost struck his hat-trick when in 68 minutes when he again outpaced the Hammers defence but could only strike his shot at the goalkeeper.
West Ham has a slight opening moments later when Vaz Te got a sight of goal but shot wide under pressure from Ognenovski.
Numerous substitutions were made by both sides as the second half drew to a close with neither side being able to create further chances.
The result will be a welcome boost for the Sky Blues as they return home to face Bonnyrigg White Eagles at Leichhardt Oval on Wednesday August 6th before their first ever Westfield FFA Cup tie against Melbourne City a week later.
Sydney FC 3 (Gameiro 2’, 65’, Brosque 25’) def West Ham United 1 (Petkovic OG 53’)
at Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Referee: Nick Waldron
SYDNEY FC: 20. Vedran JANJETOVIC(GK), 2. Sebastian RYALL (4. Pedj BOJIC 53’), 3. Sasa OGNENOVSKI (24. Themba MUATA-MARLOW 89’), 5. Matt JURMAN (16. Alex GERSBACH 81’) 6. Nikola PETKOVIC (Captain), 7. Corey GAMEIRO (25. George TIMOTHEOU 90+3’), 8.Milos DIMITRIJEVIC (18. Peter TRIANTIS 55’), 11. Bernie IBINI (26. Max BURGESS 83’), 14. Alex BROSQUE (19. Nick CARLE 53’), 17. Terry ANTONIS (27. Christopher NAUMOFF 67’), 22. Ali ABBAS (12. Hagi GLIGOR 67’).
Subs not used: 1. Ivan NECEVSKI,
WEST HAM UNITED: 13. ADRIAN (25. Samuel HOWES 81’), 2. Winston REID ©, 24. Carlton COLE (10. Mauro ZARATE 51’), 19. James COLLINS, 20. Guy DEMEL (3. Aaron CRESSWELL 13’), 21. Mohamed DIAME (27. Daniel POTTS 68’), 11. Stewart DOWNING (33. Mattias FANIMO 81’), 7. Matt JARVIS ( 12. Riccardo VAZ TE 58’), 16. Mark NOBLE (23. Diego POYET 68’), 4. Kevin NOLAN, 17. Joseph O’BRIEN (31. Daniel WHITEHEAD 71’).
Subs not used: 22. Jussi JAASKELAINEN.
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