Perth Glory took on the competition leaders tonight and were unlucky to come away with only a point.
Sydney started impressively but, despite lots of possession and movement off the ball, could go no further than Perth's centre-back pairing of Matt Horsley and Jamie Harnwell.
All the decent chances came Perth's way.
The battle between some of the league's most potent goalscorers ’Äî Sydney's Saso Petrovski, Dwight Yorke, Kazu Miura and David Zdrilic against Glory's Bobby Despotovski and Damian Mori ’Äî was dampened by Perth's strong defending and wayward finishing.
The large Japanese media contingent would have been pleased to see Miura start the game. But Perth's Japanese star, Hiro Ishida, was on the bench. Miura was exciting from the start, and for 20 minutes it seemed he would be responsible for a Sydney goal. But the superstar tired and the goal didn't come.
Sydney's other glamour striker, Yorke, warmed the bench for Sydney. When he did enter the fray he was a commanding presence, also threatening to ignite a goal-spree. But Perth continued, resolute and professional; midfielders shutting Sydney down and defenders anticipating nearly every Sydney ploy.
Sydney's usual backline was varied with the inclusion of Matthew Bingley, replacing Jacob Timpano. Milan Jovanic guarded Perth's goal instead of the ill Jason Petkovic.
Kazu started displaying his Brazilian-honed skills in the third minute with a bicycle kick five metres from goal. Unfortunately, Jamie Harnwell was right behind him to beat the ball away.
Sydney were trying to emulate the Socceroos' second half performance against Uruguay, retaining possession and supporting one another off the ball.
But the first scoring chance came to Perth in the fourth minute when Damian Mori ran onto a through ball and evaded three defenders. Mori found himself in a shooting position ’Äî a scoring position for him ’Äî in the left side of the Sydney penalty area. He shot on target. Clint Bolton spilled the catch, but was not really threatened.
David Carney, who had another relatively quiet game, was robbed by Nick Ward, who went on to make a vital contribution for Perth. Perth made ground but Terry McFlynn won possession for Sydney after Ward collected a return pass near the Sydney penalty area.
Ward tackled back after Kazu fed Petrovski with such a snappy pass the crowd cheered its appreciation.
Sydney still looked confident and accomplished. Like they deserved to be competition leaders. Every Kazu touch was oozing with showmanship.
In the 11th minute Steve Corica played a lovely through ball for Kazu, who was just offside. Kazu netted nevertheless, as if to indicate it was only a matter of time ’Ķ
But again the real chance fell to Perth. Two minutes later Despotovski hit the crossbar after a scorching run by Horsley who had poached the ball during a Sydney attack. Bingley blocked Ward and temporarily halted Perth's progress. But Perth came again, only to see Despotovski, realising what a good opportunity he'd missed, holding his head in his hands.
Two minutes later Billy Celeski shot into Bolton's arms as three Perth forwards steamed into the Sydney box. Perth won a corner from the right but Bolton got up to hold safely.
All this effectiveness from Perth when I'd been thinking I hadn't seen Sydney play better.
In the 18th minute Sydney looked certain to score. Kazu determinedly held onto the ball on the top left corner of the Perth penalty area before firing a cross in front of goal. But Petrovski had run too soon and Sydney eventually shot wide.
Mori hit a great cross from the right for Perth but Bingley headed clear in true Timpano fashion.
In the 21st minute I thought Despotovski was set up for a perfect shot at the top of the box and hit it wide. (But those with a better view, perhaps, reckon Despotovski set up Celeski who missed the target.)
Sydney's appeals for a corner were denied when Jovanic appeared to carry a Petrovski shot over the goal line.
In the 25th minute Despotovski had a shot himself, into a Sydney defender while Mori, to his left, was hoping for some service.
Carney humiliated Jamie Coyne and got over a good cross ’Äî just a few centimetres too high.
Celeski won a free kick from Alvin Ceccoli on the right side of the Sydney penalty area. Then Sydney won a corner off Coyne, shielding a long ball meant for Carney. The corner bounced in the Perth goal box but Glory escaped unscathed.
Perth bombed the top of the Sydney goal, thanks (possibly) to Ward.
In the 35th minute Ufuk Talay put a nice ball through for Corica who twisted inside and hit a left foot shot that was easy for Jovanic.
For ten minutes it had seemed all Sydney.
But then Ward collected well in midfield, played a one-two and was at the edge of the Sydney penalty area. His shot was insufficient.
Which pretty much summarised the first half ’Äî Sydney with most of the play and Perth with all the good chances. The half ended with Packer clobbering Despotovski and Simon Colosimo's free kick being deflected for a corner.
My deputy note takers ’Äî standing in while I was queuing for "food" ’Äî recorded the beginning of the second half: Perth is offside; Perth corner; Kazu offside. (Apparently they missed another Mori shot.)
In the 53rd minute Perth shot high and wide.
Petrovski looked dangerous cutting in from the right but Coyne and Horsley dealt with him.
In the 58th minute Petrovski finally got the better of Horsley, right footing around him and shooting with the left ’Ķ on target.
Kazu put a neat flick through for Carney, Petrovski on a break showed too much of the ball to Steve McMahon. But Carney was able to get in a shot ’Ķ high.
In the 62nd minute the more attacking Yorke replaced the usually defensive McFlynn.
Naum Sekulovski, making his presence felt more in the second half, got onto the ball in the Sydney penalty area and was only just bustled away. Sekulovski was soon replaced by Adrian Caceres.
Yorke, brilliant down Sydney's right, beat three players and crossed, leading to a Sydney throw from the left. The long Ceccoli throw dropped perfectly for Carney who volleyed ’Ķ over the goal.
Petrovski played a one-two with Kazu and looked to be in a dangerous position with the return, but Petrovski's touch let him down.
Kazu seemed through on a break but Horsley caught him offside.
McMahon made a good tackle on Carney that ended a threatening move from Sydney, starting with Bolton to Yorke to Kazu. Yorke was making himself the centre of everything.
In the 77th minute Despotovski missed the target with a good chance.
Kazu was replaced by Mark Rudan and Sydney became less striker heavy.
Colosimo earned his yellow for hacking at the back of Petrovski.
Corica looked for Petrovski but Horsley read the pass and beat him to it. Corica then found Petrovski in the centre. Petrovski aimed for Yorke but Horsley robbed him.
Petrovski was replaced by Zdrilic who was beaten to a long ball by Harnwell.
Perth's last decent foray forward was thanks to a great switch from Despotovski to Caceres who ran 30 metres and shot on target.
By the time the final whistle blew I was cheering for Perth. They deserved a goal.
Sydney coach Pierre Littbarski thought his team had saved a point. "We started badly, left too many chances. Despotovski and Mori are quite good up front and we couldn't control them really."
He said, "It was frustrating because we had some good parts. Kazu was playing well up front and Ceccoli was one who played good, but too many players were under normal level."
He thought too many players were distracted by the situation, with Australia's World Cup qualification and with the media attention on Sydney FC. "We did things we never did before; we played direct and gave the ball too often away. Maybe we didn't focus enough."
After a week when four good Sydney strikers failed to score, he said next week the pressure would be on the forwards because they had to score.
On the other hand, Ceccoli observed, Sydney's defence had tightened up in recent weeks.
Perth coach Steve McMahon Senior said they'd come to the game (with Petkovic out and changes to the back line) looking for a point. But he was "disappointed because we played ever so well". He said, "I actually think we should have got the three points. We played well. We defended well when we had to, restricted them to very few chances and created chances ourselves. I thought it was a very, very good performance; excellent, professional and workmanlike, and that's all I expect."
Harnwell said he thought Perth held the line high up pitch well. "We gave them no space to play little one-twos or anything in front of them. Closed them down well. And Simon (Colosimo) and Wardy did that in midfield as well, and restricted them to one chance from a set piece and a couple of chances from the edge of the box. Which for the strike force that on paper they've got was tremendously well done."