PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEKEND – SYDNEY FC

It’s getting to that point in the season where everyone is now starting to think, that Sydney could actually do this. Coming up against Melbourne Victory was always going to be a big task for Sydney but they rose to the task excellently.

Conceding just their 8th goal of the season early on, Sydney rebounded well and came back into the game just before half time, taking their time and pushing forward well. Filip Holosko found the goal with a beautifully flicked on header, putting the ball into the top right hand corner of the goal, just out of the reach of Lawrence Thomas.

It was Holosko’s replacement who found the second goal for Sydney just past the half hour mark and just minutes after coming on. Bernie Ibini put Sydney FC ahead with an excellent goal, holding off several defenders with raw strength and pace. Ibini is currently scoring at a rate of a goal every 91 minutes, the third lowest in the league.

Both Melbourne and Sydney were fairly even all game so it was going to take a special team to find the winner and it just so happened that it was Sydney. They’ve extended their lead to 11 points and even if they can’t go through undefeated, it’s going to be very hard for them to lose the league.

It will be another tough week for both teams with Sydney FC away to Brisbane Roar, the team with the least amount of losses in the league, apart from Sydney. Melbourne Victory will come up against Melbourne City in what promises to be a huge derby, with City slipping to 4th on the table.

With all the top four teams taking on each other next week, there could be some shake ups at the top.

Sydney have been great all season but they certainly made it known just how good this weekend. A great performance of the weekend.

PLAYER OF THE WEEKEND – ANDREW NABBOUT

Having been left out in the cold by a Malaysian second division team, it was hard to see Andrew Nabbout doing well this season but he has proved any doubters wrong. Currently being talked about in the same breath as Milos Ninkovic for the player of the season award, Nabbout had a brilliant weekend.

Coming up against the 3rd placed team, Newcastle certainly had a task ahead of them but they rose to the challenge, thanks to the work of Nabbout. In the past 7 games, he has scored 6 times, having only scored once in the previous 6 games.

He was phenomenal on the weekend and was clinical too. His two goals came from just two shots on target all game. Pushing quickly down the left wing, he regularly caught out Ivan Franjic and more centrally, Osama Malik and Michael Jakobsen.

His two goals were both beautifully worked and he almost single-handedly pushed Newcastle up to 6th.

Newcastle will be looking to go on with their finals push, coming up against Perth Glory next week. If Nabbout can replicate the form he showed this weekend, Perth should be very worried.

GOAL OF THE WEEKEND – TOM DOYLE

If you were to say a week ago that Tom Doyle would score one of the goals of the seasons this week, I probably wouldn’t have believed you.

Receiving the ball roughly a little way inside Adelaide’s half, Doyle rounded Henrique as well as four other players, before delivering a curling shot from the corner of the box that stung the inside of the upright post.

Eugene Galekovic could do nothing and while you could argue that the defence didn’t shut him down well enough, the ability to round so many players and then release a shot like that, cannot be underestimated.

Don’t take anything away from Tom Doyle, it was an incredible way to opening his scoring account for the season. A truly great goal.

FLOP OF THE WEEKEND – MELBOURNE CITY

When you have 18 shots, just one goal and one of the most attacking sides in the league, you’ve got to question how they couldn’t do any better. The excuse may be that they had their flight delayed in Sydney just before the game but still, they should have done better.

Of their 18 shots, just four were on target, giving them a shooting accuracy of a little over 20 per cent, a miserable statistic given the talent in their forward line. Luke Brattan and Bruno Fornaroli were the only players to challenge the keeper, with one of the four shots on goal between them being Fornaroli’s penalty.

City were far from their best. The bizarre decision to leave Ruon Tongyik out of the starting side saw them pay the price with Newcastle getting just as many shots on target, with half the amount of chances.

Melbourne City will really need to step up next week, taking on a Melbourne Victory side hungry to break a three game losing streak. If City play like they did this weekend, Victory will win the game easily, with their clinical ability in front of goal, surely exposing City’s lack of finishing at the other end.

A poor display from City and they will be wanting to forget this one quickly.