Sydney FC Women 1 Newcastle Jets 2
On an evening that tested even the most hardened of Sydney FC fans, the Sky Blues managed to blow their slender lead, succumbing to the ultimate sucker punch from Newcastle Jets in added time to lose yet again, failing to manage the dying moments correctly. A second half dominated by the visitors should have been an alert to shut up shop and take the point, but a suicidal giveaway and a missile of a winner stopped the Cove mid-chant and spoiled what would have been an astonishing single-handed rescue act by Sydney goalkeeper Heather Hinz. Amelia Cassar’s sensational opener is now consigned to the bin, and an eerie silence fell over Leichhardt Oval at the end as the players huddled without their coaches to really set tongues wagging.
A 7pm kick off tonight and we were on the road just before 5pm, taking the express route through the tunnel to make it to the Orange Grove at a reasonable time to meet our fellow Women’s Cove crew members. As always, the leisure centre car park was full, so it was down to Le Montage again and the steep walk up the new path, through the back streets and back to the pub. There was a decent crowd at the gate already, the lines stretching onto Mary Street, but that crowd was inside by the time we returned from the pub with 20 minutes to go before kick off.
It felt like deja vu from Saturday, everything happening in the same order in the same place prior to the game; watching the players smash in goal after goal in the warm-up was surreal, given the lack of goalscoring confidence washing through the Sky Blue ranks. Today’s opponents won the toin coss and turned the teams around, Sydney FC shooting towards the Cove in the first half. It was a warm summer’s evening, a little breeze, but almost perfect conditions for football.
Sydney started well, future Matildas striker Skye Halmarick having a header cleared off the line following a corner, and with Riley Tanner starting, we had width and flair, even if the final ball never made it. The Cove was in good voice – in stark contrast to Saturday when voices felt strained and the key was maybe off, the corner of black and blue was in fine form. Even moreso when the much-maligned Amelia Cassar took advantage of a giveaway from a rushing Jets defender. The goalkeeper was out, the main stand urged Cassar to shoot but her first touch was a little heavy; nevertheless she lofted a shot over the stranded keeper and the ball hit the back of the net with a satisfying bounce. Cue bedlam in the Cove. A goal! Sydney scored a goal!
The lead didn’t last long and Sydney were a touch unfortunate, the equaliser coming from nowhere. Kirsty Fenton did well to race across the penalty area to make a challenge as the Jets advanced unopposed, but the ball fell perfectly for Melina Ayres, who swivelled and fired an unstoppable shot past Hinz for 1-1. It was tough to take, with the home team in charge up to that point, but it was one hell of a finish, even from our distant viewpoint at the other end. The Jets went on to go close just before the half ended too, the Cove in full song as Hinz pulled off an amazing save with her foot. Sydney were showing signs of their rustiness again, the misplaced through-balls and constant offsides against Tanner were frustrating, and the Jets’ keeper showed good hands to hold a Sarah Huter strike from distance. The half time score of 1-1 was a little harsh on Sydney, but we had a goal. We had a goal!
A quick walk around the stadium to see if any of the familiar Jets faces were in the away section (no Lucas, but Matt VDB was in the stand) and we were ready for the second half. The referee was irking both sides, falling for the cheap free kicks – one given on the edge of the Sydney area after a blatant dive, but I guess that cancelled out Tanner’s ridiculous dive into the player to buy a free kick at the other end. The Jets missed a sitter when a cross found the striker right in front, who had time to control and fire wide from close range, before Hinz made a stop with her feet from a one-on-one to save the day again. Hinz was exceptional, palming away another dangerous cross and saving another from right in front with a strong hand. The Sydney defence was prised open on numerous occasions on their left and only some desperate defending in the box saw the Jets repelled.
Sydney had toiled but not created a clear chance, and the subs started to rack up, Amber Luchtmeijer on for Halmarick, and eventually the youthful Claire Corbett came on to replace goal hero Cassar. Abby Lemon then somehow bundled through two challenges and looked odds on to get the ball back from Hunter for a free shot on goal, but the Sky Blue Wonder took the shot on herself and only just sent it wide. Hana Lowry wasted a free kick, playing it straight through to the keeper, before a mystery substitution saw Tanner replaced – she had been out of gas for most of the half to be honest – and surprisingly it was Madison Ayson thrust into the game at a late stage on the right. Not sure what Laurie-Ann Moise has to do to get minutes. The game wasn’t done yet and the Jets threatened, before Sydney hit the self-destruct button. We Are Sydney was underway to see out the additional three minutes. Hunter, who had been playing very poor low-percentage balls all evening, gifted possession to the Jets when possession and concentration was all we needed. The Jets broke upfield, the Sydney FC midfield missing, and Charlotte Lancaster simply leathered the ball goalwards, beating Hinz, the ball hitting the back of the net to kill the final chant of the evening stone dead. What a goal though!
Hands were on heads, the curse of this season and last was back to haunt us, but the Cove soldiered on and finished the game in full song, as they had been all night. Hana Lowry was the only player to acknowledge the Cove after the final whistle with a love-heart, but the rest of the team eventually came over to thank the active fans. There was no other song than “F*ck you Melbourne Victory”, sung in defiance at yet another defeat and with the Big Blue in mind, which may have embarrassed some of the players (not as much as Rhyan Grant with his little daughter on the weekend).
The players may have been expecting more, but there was no more. The sight of the players all getting into a huddle was telling – no sign of any coaches. It’s crisis time at Sydney FC. The blaring music had stopped by the time the huddle disbanded; the players and the remaining fans interacted in eerie silence, and we left them to it. What a disappointment, what a way to end the game, and once again the tactical changes of the coaches will need to be called into question. Is this the final straw? With the players in their circle at the end with no sign of Ante and Tom, it certainly looked like it.
We were home really quickly – there’s no traffic after a women’s game and the roads are in holiday mode. No game this weekend, no crushing defeat then, but we’re back to Allianz on Sunday for the blokes. Heads up, Forza Sydney FC.