Looking at the players they left out of the starting lineup in their 3-1 win over Brisbane Roar, Aaron Calver thinks they're looking pretty good...

Sydney took the lead after just 44 seconds through Calver, the burly Western United-bound centreback profiting from calamitous Brisbane defending.

Calver, unmarked on the edge of the box from a free-kick, targeted Eli Babalj and simply drifted straight past the equally imposing centreforward to find acres of space directly in front, burying his header with conviction.

"Doesn't happen that often but it was a good ball in and I was lucky to finish it off," Calver said.

"I had a good run early in the year so slotting back in wasn't too difficult. We spoke about it pre-game, that we didn't want it to happen so it became a little frantic. 

"We've got a world-class bench, so as long as we keep it ticking away in the early stages they'll come on and finish it off."

The early goal seemingly knocked the stuffing out of both sides, the Roar dropping deep with a back five and a complacent Sky Blues outfit unwilling to test their metal. 

But in the second period Brisbane awoke and with Sydney unable to match the sudden tempo, Eric Bautheac latched onto a Nick D'Agostino cross to equalise on the 68th minute.

Subsequently, Sydney remembered the firepower they had on their disposal as everyone seemed to simultaneously spring into life.

Reza Ghoochannedjad and Danny De Silva were excellent, but Adam le Fondre notched the go-ahead before Siem de Jong scored one of the goals of the season to seal the deal, and seemingly second place, for Sydney FC.

"They've got some good players," a rather fresh and optimistic Matt McKay - perhaps only a few games away from the end of his career - noted post-match.

"It took a lot to get back into it because we didn't start well, we didn't threaten so we raised the level but they were too good in the end.

"We worked on a few things and they didn't really work, we got back into the game but couldn't finish it off.

"I keep running, I keep trying, we finish the season with three home games so we need to get a little pride back into the team and try to build for next season."