FFA Cup quarter-finals pic special

The FFA Cup holders went down to the A-League premiers, courtesy of goals to Jordy Buijs and Alex Brosque.

City struggled without captain and star striker Fornaroli, who suffered a serious ankle injury in the last cup round.

“[Missing personnel] is no excuse," Joyce said.

"I thought it was a poor goal to give away, a cheap free kick really, so disappointing to go a goal down and you’re up against it. 

"It was a night where we didn’t have a lot of artillery where we think we could score three or four goals and we wanted to stay in the game for as long as we could really, so to give a goal away cheaply puts you up against it.”

Melbourne City struggled against Sydney FC

The City boss lamented his side's inability to challenge A-League title favourites Sydney.

“I didn’t think it was a great game to be honest," Joyce said.

"I didn’t think we made them do a great deal to win it.

"That’s disappointing. You want to come and set a marker down for the league season and I don’t think we did that tonight.”

FFA Cup quarter-finals pic special