EXCLUSIVE:We're in Blacktown for a live minute by minute coverage of the trial match between Sydney FC and Blacktown Demons. The game's ended 0-0. Here's our report...
BLACKTOWN DEMONS O SYDNEY FC 0
ANALYSIS
For Sydney FC it was about getting out onto a big pitch and getting the feel for playing 11 v 11 again. After eight weeks of pre-season training - including a lot of cross-training - a rusty performance was to be expected. Such a result against a side that had played together before and was well up for it was not unexpected.
McFlynn was tireless in midfield and got himself into some good scoring positions. And the newly slimline Ivan Necevski, who played a half for both sides, made some good saves and one great one.
But it was the Demons who really caught the eye. They play an attractive brand of football with a neat passing game. They rarely hoofed the ball long and played their way out from the back even under pressure. With so many youngsters on the park, it's hard to pick any standouts, but Ken Chung, the number six, looks to be a good footballer as does youngster Matt Lewis who played as an attacking wingback.
All in all, an interesting night, with a very good crowd of around 2500 braving the cold conditions to see some A-League action in Sydney's West - and the rather bizarre sight of Brian McFadden coming on as a late sub for Sydney (wonder what he told Delta of his Sydney debut?)
FULL TIME! 40 MIN HALF
40: Game petering out now.
38: Demons again patient build up ends with wayward shot over bar.
37: Simpson and McFlynn handbags behind play. Terry not happy with the big man's lunge.
36: Damianove for Demons cross but easy for Ivan
35: Beautiful ball through by Biddle but Taylor just fails to reach it. McFadden falls again, crowd laughs and he gives them the finger.
33: Demons playing the better football right now. On the deck, possession footy. Very impressive as they win a corner. Simpson bears down but fails to get his head on it. McFadden slips - crowd laughs.
31: Demons break and a shout for a pen but waved away by ref.
30: "You're just a fat Rohnan Keating, you're just a fat Rohnan Keating" is the Cove's next chant. This is hilarious.
28: AND MCFADDEN NEARLY SCORES AFTER MCFLYNN SENS A BALL THROUGH BUT THE FORMER WESTLIFE MAN IS TOO SLOW TO GET ONTO IT.
27: Sydney now has McFadden and US College striker Matt Taylor upfront.
25: FUCKIN' BRIAN MCFADDEN'S COMING ON FOR SYDNEY!!! DELTA'S MAN REPLACING ADAM CASEY. CROWD IS GIVING HIM SOME SHIT! ("yOU'RE JUST A POOR ROBBIE WILLIAMS IS THE COVE CHANT! BRILLIANT
24: Casey slammed by Demons defence. Free to Sydney wide 25m out. McFlynn gets his foot on cross but it spins over bar.
22: Mikey Enfield on for Sydney and Brosquey's off.
19: Free to Sydney. Prentice takes and Fyfe heads just wide from penalty spot.
18: Salas off for City (BTW Simpson is now on for Demons playing in central defence and Matt Taylor is on for Sydney, he's a US college player.
16: Chun again with give and go but move breaks down. Sydney looks rusty. Demons full of fire.
15: Chun in midfield is looking increasingly influential as a would be playmaker. Free in corner for Dees, but wasted and cleared easily.
14: Good effort from Demons Ken Chun from edge of box but fails to get power on shot and easily taken by Ivan.
13: McFlynn with a good distance shot of his own but easily taken by Demons keeper.
11: SALAS WITH A SUPERB DISTANCE SHOT THAT IVAN PARRIES WIDE AND COLLECTS. BEST MOMENT FOR DEMONS SO FAR AS CROWD FIRES UP
10: Double substitution for Blacktown.
9: Great long ball into box from McFlynn but Casey just skews first time volley wide.
8: Crowd is now estimated at 2500 by officials.
5: It's a scrappy start to the second half with neither side getting hold of the football and using it.
2: There's a massive flare let off by a bunch of non Cove types. it's lighting up the Seven Hills skyline as smoke billows across the ground. Not good.
1: And we're off for the second half: Fyfe is on for I think Popovich. Necevski on for Clint.
FIRST HALF ANALYSIS
A very young Demons side haslooked composed and well organised. Sydney has naturally looked a level higher but profligate finishing has denied them a lead at half time.
Demons 0 Sydney FC 0
And the ref's blown. They say they're playing a 40 minute half. We're told it is a 45 minute half so who knows!
42: Salas takes wrong option and shoots from distance.
40: Brosquey with shot from wide that goes over
39: Matt Lewis with some brilliance down the right gets a cross in and Bolton just gets a hand to it to clear danger as Demons' strikers try to get a tap in.
37: Necevski heads clear at edge of box as Brosque bears down.
33: BRILLIANT MOVE AND BRILLIANT SAVE FROM NECEVSKI. GOOD LEAD UP WORK AND CROSS FINDS HEAD OF BROSQUE BUT BIG IVAN SAVES WELL.
31: Corica misses best chance of game. Good lead up work from Brosque and the former Socceroo blasts over from ten yards out
29: Salas starts and finishes move with a shot that balloons over the bar.
28: Corica on the burst but 1-2 breaks down and Dees clear.
27: Another attack from Sydney but lacking finishing as McFlynn blasts over from a tight angle.
22: Free 20m right in front for Sydney. Ball finds Brosque but his low shot is easily dealt with by City's Necevski.
21: Great move from Demons but through ball off a 1-2 just has too much on it and Bolton clears up.
19: Through ball from Maroney fails to reach Salas and Bolton sees ball over line.
17: Brosque caught offside as he jinks left and right on edge of the box.
15: Corner to Sydney, Demons win first ball and calmly clear
13: Neat move by Demons and Prentice gives away foul. BTW Sydney is playing a 4-5-1 with Brosquey the lone striker and three attacking mids behind him.
11: Akwosi off and Bedzo on for Demons. Looks like a leg injury probably from the Poppa tackle.
9: Corner to Sydney with Colosimo and Corica combining well in midfield. Demons clear danger.
7: Shot on target by Demons who are far younger than Sydney but look right up for this
6: Brosque with another chance down the centre of park but clips it wide.
5: Corica slips ball through to Brosque who's low cross finds FC striker who loops over the bar (there are no shirt numbers on Sydney's backs so bear with us on that)
4: McFlynn through on goal but shoots just wide.
3: Poppa long bal to Brosque but Demons clear up.
2: AND POPPA'S CLATTERED INTO YOUNG STRIKER AGI AKWASI ON HALF WAY LINE. WELCOME TO THE GAME SON!
1: Confident start by Dees knocking the ball around trying to keep possession.
Hello all and welcome to Gabbie stadium on a balmy winter night in Sydney's west. It's about 7 degrees! This is a lovely little stadium and a bumper crowd of around 2000 fans have turned up for this friendly. It's great to be here.
Team news and I've just spotted Brian McFadden warming up with FC and yes, he's on the bench. And no, I've no idea how that happened.
Sydney FC starting line up:
Bolton, Tsattalios, Colosimo,Prentice, Popovic, Middleby, Corica, McFlynn, Brosque, Timpano, Casey.
Bench: Biddle, Enfield, McFadden:
Mark Robertson is on crutches but sitting on bench and Santalab has picked up a quad injury yesterday and isn't playing.
Demons: Necevski is in goals and Bruno Salas is up front. Matt Lewis is also starting, he's a young player with big wraps. Sean Rooney is also up front for the Dees while Tyler Simpson is also in the Blacktown starting side.
With triallists and Football Superstar wannabes strutting their stuff, this could be an insight to the future of the A-League.
There are cheerleaders and a small pocket of Sydney FC fans. It's a carnival atmosphere.
Live coverage will start here from 7pm.
ANALYSIS
For Sydney FC it was about getting out onto a big pitch and getting the feel for playing 11 v 11 again. After eight weeks of pre-season training - including a lot of cross-training - a rusty performance was to be expected. Such a result against a side that had played together before and was well up for it was not unexpected.
McFlynn was tireless in midfield and got himself into some good scoring positions. And the newly slimline Ivan Necevski, who played a half for both sides, made some good saves and one great one.
But it was the Demons who really caught the eye. They play an attractive brand of football with a neat passing game. They rarely hoofed the ball long and played their way out from the back even under pressure. With so many youngsters on the park, it's hard to pick any standouts, but Ken Chung, the number six, looks to be a good footballer as does youngster Matt Lewis who played as an attacking wingback.
All in all, an interesting night, with a very good crowd of around 2500 braving the cold conditions to see some A-League action in Sydney's West - and the rather bizarre sight of Brian McFadden coming on as a late sub for Sydney (wonder what he told Delta of his Sydney debut?)
FULL TIME! 40 MIN HALF
40: Game petering out now.
38: Demons again patient build up ends with wayward shot over bar.
37: Simpson and McFlynn handbags behind play. Terry not happy with the big man's lunge.
36: Damianove for Demons cross but easy for Ivan
35: Beautiful ball through by Biddle but Taylor just fails to reach it. McFadden falls again, crowd laughs and he gives them the finger.
33: Demons playing the better football right now. On the deck, possession footy. Very impressive as they win a corner. Simpson bears down but fails to get his head on it. McFadden slips - crowd laughs.
31: Demons break and a shout for a pen but waved away by ref.
30: "You're just a fat Rohnan Keating, you're just a fat Rohnan Keating" is the Cove's next chant. This is hilarious.
28: AND MCFADDEN NEARLY SCORES AFTER MCFLYNN SENS A BALL THROUGH BUT THE FORMER WESTLIFE MAN IS TOO SLOW TO GET ONTO IT.
27: Sydney now has McFadden and US College striker Matt Taylor upfront.
25: FUCKIN' BRIAN MCFADDEN'S COMING ON FOR SYDNEY!!! DELTA'S MAN REPLACING ADAM CASEY. CROWD IS GIVING HIM SOME SHIT! ("yOU'RE JUST A POOR ROBBIE WILLIAMS IS THE COVE CHANT! BRILLIANT
24: Casey slammed by Demons defence. Free to Sydney wide 25m out. McFlynn gets his foot on cross but it spins over bar.
22: Mikey Enfield on for Sydney and Brosquey's off.
19: Free to Sydney. Prentice takes and Fyfe heads just wide from penalty spot.
18: Salas off for City (BTW Simpson is now on for Demons playing in central defence and Matt Taylor is on for Sydney, he's a US college player.
16: Chun again with give and go but move breaks down. Sydney looks rusty. Demons full of fire.
15: Chun in midfield is looking increasingly influential as a would be playmaker. Free in corner for Dees, but wasted and cleared easily.
14: Good effort from Demons Ken Chun from edge of box but fails to get power on shot and easily taken by Ivan.
13: McFlynn with a good distance shot of his own but easily taken by Demons keeper.
11: SALAS WITH A SUPERB DISTANCE SHOT THAT IVAN PARRIES WIDE AND COLLECTS. BEST MOMENT FOR DEMONS SO FAR AS CROWD FIRES UP
10: Double substitution for Blacktown.
9: Great long ball into box from McFlynn but Casey just skews first time volley wide.
8: Crowd is now estimated at 2500 by officials.
5: It's a scrappy start to the second half with neither side getting hold of the football and using it.
2: There's a massive flare let off by a bunch of non Cove types. it's lighting up the Seven Hills skyline as smoke billows across the ground. Not good.
1: And we're off for the second half: Fyfe is on for I think Popovich. Necevski on for Clint.
FIRST HALF ANALYSIS
A very young Demons side haslooked composed and well organised. Sydney has naturally looked a level higher but profligate finishing has denied them a lead at half time.
Demons 0 Sydney FC 0
And the ref's blown. They say they're playing a 40 minute half. We're told it is a 45 minute half so who knows!
42: Salas takes wrong option and shoots from distance.
40: Brosquey with shot from wide that goes over
39: Matt Lewis with some brilliance down the right gets a cross in and Bolton just gets a hand to it to clear danger as Demons' strikers try to get a tap in.
37: Necevski heads clear at edge of box as Brosque bears down.
33: BRILLIANT MOVE AND BRILLIANT SAVE FROM NECEVSKI. GOOD LEAD UP WORK AND CROSS FINDS HEAD OF BROSQUE BUT BIG IVAN SAVES WELL.
31: Corica misses best chance of game. Good lead up work from Brosque and the former Socceroo blasts over from ten yards out
29: Salas starts and finishes move with a shot that balloons over the bar.
28: Corica on the burst but 1-2 breaks down and Dees clear.
27: Another attack from Sydney but lacking finishing as McFlynn blasts over from a tight angle.
22: Free 20m right in front for Sydney. Ball finds Brosque but his low shot is easily dealt with by City's Necevski.
21: Great move from Demons but through ball off a 1-2 just has too much on it and Bolton clears up.
19: Through ball from Maroney fails to reach Salas and Bolton sees ball over line.
17: Brosque caught offside as he jinks left and right on edge of the box.
15: Corner to Sydney, Demons win first ball and calmly clear
13: Neat move by Demons and Prentice gives away foul. BTW Sydney is playing a 4-5-1 with Brosquey the lone striker and three attacking mids behind him.
11: Akwosi off and Bedzo on for Demons. Looks like a leg injury probably from the Poppa tackle.
9: Corner to Sydney with Colosimo and Corica combining well in midfield. Demons clear danger.
7: Shot on target by Demons who are far younger than Sydney but look right up for this
6: Brosque with another chance down the centre of park but clips it wide.
5: Corica slips ball through to Brosque who's low cross finds FC striker who loops over the bar (there are no shirt numbers on Sydney's backs so bear with us on that)
4: McFlynn through on goal but shoots just wide.
3: Poppa long bal to Brosque but Demons clear up.
2: AND POPPA'S CLATTERED INTO YOUNG STRIKER AGI AKWASI ON HALF WAY LINE. WELCOME TO THE GAME SON!
1: Confident start by Dees knocking the ball around trying to keep possession.
Hello all and welcome to Gabbie stadium on a balmy winter night in Sydney's west. It's about 7 degrees! This is a lovely little stadium and a bumper crowd of around 2000 fans have turned up for this friendly. It's great to be here.
Team news and I've just spotted Brian McFadden warming up with FC and yes, he's on the bench. And no, I've no idea how that happened.
Sydney FC starting line up:
Bolton, Tsattalios, Colosimo,Prentice, Popovic, Middleby, Corica, McFlynn, Brosque, Timpano, Casey.
Bench: Biddle, Enfield, McFadden:
Mark Robertson is on crutches but sitting on bench and Santalab has picked up a quad injury yesterday and isn't playing.
Demons: Necevski is in goals and Bruno Salas is up front. Matt Lewis is also starting, he's a young player with big wraps. Sean Rooney is also up front for the Dees while Tyler Simpson is also in the Blacktown starting side.
With triallists and Football Superstar wannabes strutting their stuff, this could be an insight to the future of the A-League.
There are cheerleaders and a small pocket of Sydney FC fans. It's a carnival atmosphere.
Live coverage will start here from 7pm.
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