Yorke stunner on debut

Australian Football

Yorke value for money as Melbourne hold Sydney FC
tribalfootball.com - August 29, 2005

Sydney FC has drawn a thrilling opening round Hyundai A-League game 1-1 thanks to a Dwight Yorke goal against a determined Melbourne Victory side at a packed Aussie Stadium, lighting up the Hyundai A-League.

Star Sydney FC striker Yorke scored with just two minutes to go in the first half before electrifying Victory marksman Archie Thompson equalized in the 73rd minute.

The Hyundai A-League has promised a lot in the months preceding the opening game and the Sydney versus Melbourne match certainly delivered an entertaining and enterprising show to the record breaking crowd of 25,208.

Both teams had several chances in an end to end battle that had all the drama and excitement of a final.

Yorke was taken down off the ball by Melbourne defender Carl Recchia in just the third minute but recovered to showcase several signs of the brilliance that he was brought to Sydney for.

Yorke struck his killer blow in the 44th minute with a stunning header that gave the marquee player the honour of becoming the first Sydney FC goal scorer in the Hyundai A-League.

The goal came after Sydney FC Captain Mark Rudan fed Andrew Packer on the right side of the field before Packer cleverly evaded Kevin Muscat to begin a long run down the field.

Packer then sent a wonderful cross in to a diving Yorke whose header was far too good for Victory keeper Eugene Galekovic.

Fittingly Yorke's strike was right in front of the Sydney FC fan club "The Cove" and sent the excited faithful into a frenzy.

The goal was the only score of the first half although Melbourne had several great chances of their own via speedy striker Thompson.

Sydney FC goal keeper Clint Bolton made two vital saves with his legs after Thompson's raids on goal and the Victory's best chance came when Thompson hit the cross bar.

Overall Melbourne had four or five genuine first half chances to Sydney FC's three with Terry McFlynn's thundering strike that went wide from an Ufuk Talay corner the best.

Thompson troubled the Sydney FC back four all game had more chances in the second term before scoring the equalizer.

First it took a desperate deflection from Rudan and more brilliance from Bolton to keep Sydney FC in front.

Six minutes after the break Thompson burst into the box and let go with a shot that forced Rudan to push the ball out with Bolton seemingly beaten in goals.

Then in the 58th minute Thompson's diving header looked like the equalizer before a despairing dive from Bolton tipped the ball over the crossbar.

Fifteen minutes later Thompson was finally rewarded when his diving header to a Recchia cross from the right beat Bolton hands down and ensured both sides finished with first round points.

Sydney FC and Aussie Stadium officials were forced to open the gates 20 minutes into the game for only the second time in the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust's history allowing almost 1600 fans that had arrived late into the ground for free.

With only 14,000 of the tickets pre-sold the walk up crowd was also the biggest in Aussie Stadium's 17-year history.

The crowd was also the biggest ever for a domestic soccer match in Australia.