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| A-League |
| A-League Scoreboard - Finals Week 1 |
| SEMI-FINALS: Friday 25th January Sydney FC 0 Queensland Roar 0 Sunday 27th January Newcastle Jets 2 Central Coast Mariners 0 Friday 8th February Queensland Roar v Sydney FC (8.00) Sunday 10th February Central Coast Mariners v N'castle Jets(6.00) Sunday 17th February Preliminary Final Sunday 24th February Grand Final |
| The first leg of the minor semi-final series saw Sydney FC at home to Queensland Roar. The battles between the two sides this season had been dour, defensive affairs with the last two games going goal-less; and this match was to go the same way. With the finals stakes so high, both sides took a long time to feel each other out, and there were few scoring opportunities for either side in the first half. But it was a different story after the break for Sydney FC. The midfield began to get on top and create opportunities for the strikers, but they were unable to capitalise. Alex Brosque in particular was wasteful, twice having only the keeper to beat only to spray the ball wide. A strong save by Roar keeper Griffin McMaster kept Juninho out, and an even better one with less than 10 minutes to play prevented Brosque from scoring. 0-0 was how it remained, with both sides going to Brisbane for the second leg. The winner will go through to the prelim final, while a score draw will be enough to see Sydney FC go through. Sydney FC 0 Queensland Roar 0 Yellow Cards : Sydney - M Milligan 7, B Renaud 43, U Talay 56. Roar - S Ognenovski 22, M McKay 55, J McCloughan 73. Referee - M Shield. Crowd - 23,450 at Sydney Football Stadium. |
Both semi-final match-ups were replays of round 20 fixtures, and Newcastle repeated their result
in the penultimate home & away round with a 2-0 win over Central Coast at Energy Australia
Stadium.
Newcastle were first to score, when Adam Griffiths pounced on a cross from Holland to head the
ball into Danny Vokovic's net. It was against the run of play, with the Mariners having made much
of the early front-running; but this was not to be the Central Coast side's lucky day.
World Cup hero John Aloisi had a chance to level the scores not long afterwards, but an
uncharacteristic miss from the penalty spot denied the Mariners the equaliser. Then on the stroke
of half-time, Aloisi found space to bang the ball into the Newcastle net but the flag went up for
offside.
The Mariners continued to press for an equaliser in the second half, but it wasn't to come. Adding
to their frustration was a string of second half yellow cards, coming to a head on 85 minutes when
James Holland was brought down in the box by Andre Gumprecht; the referee pointing to the
spot. Joel Griffiths made no mistake, and Newcastle's 2-0 win was sealed.
The Jets will go into the return fixture 2 goals clear, and within striking distance of their first grand
final appearance.
Newcastle Jets 2 (A Griffiths 22, J Griffiths 84pen) Central Coast Mariners 0.
Yellow Cards : Jets - J Hoffman 55, M Thompson 70. Mariners - J Aloisi 46, A Kwasnik 56, A
Clark 83, A Gumprecht 84.
Referee - M Breeze. Crowd - 22,960 at Energy Australia Stadium.
in the penultimate home & away round with a 2-0 win over Central Coast at Energy Australia
Stadium.
Newcastle were first to score, when Adam Griffiths pounced on a cross from Holland to head the
ball into Danny Vokovic's net. It was against the run of play, with the Mariners having made much
of the early front-running; but this was not to be the Central Coast side's lucky day.
World Cup hero John Aloisi had a chance to level the scores not long afterwards, but an
uncharacteristic miss from the penalty spot denied the Mariners the equaliser. Then on the stroke
of half-time, Aloisi found space to bang the ball into the Newcastle net but the flag went up for
offside.
The Mariners continued to press for an equaliser in the second half, but it wasn't to come. Adding
to their frustration was a string of second half yellow cards, coming to a head on 85 minutes when
James Holland was brought down in the box by Andre Gumprecht; the referee pointing to the
spot. Joel Griffiths made no mistake, and Newcastle's 2-0 win was sealed.
The Jets will go into the return fixture 2 goals clear, and within striking distance of their first grand
final appearance.
Newcastle Jets 2 (A Griffiths 22, J Griffiths 84pen) Central Coast Mariners 0.
Yellow Cards : Jets - J Hoffman 55, M Thompson 70. Mariners - J Aloisi 46, A Kwasnik 56, A
Clark 83, A Gumprecht 84.
Referee - M Breeze. Crowd - 22,960 at Energy Australia Stadium.
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