On a balmy autumn evening, in front of over 2,000 spectators, it was the kind of return to Lambert Park that the Tigers must have dreamt about. In the end, the experienced A-League team did prevail thanks to a hat-trick from Mark Bridge but not before A.P.I.A. Leichhardt had dominated played for large parts of the game and, for over an hour, looked like causing a major upset.
To be fair to Sydney FC though the friendly clash, sandwiched in between their Asian Champions League fixtures, was used as a trial for some players who didn?t take the field in last week?s encounter at the Sydney Football Stadium against Suwon Samsung.
After the match Robert Younis, scorer of both of A.P.I.A. Leichhardt?s goals, summed up the experience of hosting a major A-League side.
?It was an enjoyable experience and given that quite a few people turned out made it even better,? he said.
?It was good to compare ourselves with them ? their fitness took over at the end ? but it was a good, quality game.?
In the 7? minute A.P.I.A. Leichhardt opened the scoring from a Chris James corner which resulted in some scrappy play and Younis, in the right place at the right time for a striker, forced the ball into the net from close range. The goal caught the visitors on the hop but there was more to come from the home side.
A James free-kick went just wide of the mark before Sydney FC equalised in the 19^? minute.
Bridge had a great shot that was blocked by Matthew Fsadni but the ball rebounded straight back to Bridge who then fired it in the second time around.
It was the first real time that Sydney FC looked dangerous in the game but that?s where experience counts and every chance is capitalised on.
In the 22? minute David D?Apuzzo gave a long ball to Younis who shot just wide of the mark and it was D?Apuzzo again shortly afterwards who set up James for a volley that went just wide of the post.
In the 30^? minute Nathan Sherlock brought Younis down in the box and there was little doubt that it was a penalty. Younis took the spot kick himself and sent the ?keeper wrong way.
A.P.I.A. Leichhardt were back in front and there would hardly have been a murmur that it shouldn?t have been otherwise.
?I was happy with my own performance and it was good to get a double against them, but I?m building more on my fitness than anything else at this stage,? a modest Younis stated after the game.
Just before the break a cross by Dimitri Petratos found Juho Makela who volleyed significantly wide when he really should have done a lot better.
In the second half Sydney FC made some significant substitutions and there was marked improvement in their play.
An early Durante header from close range was punched away by Jose Bello Amigo and Hirofumi Moriyasu, against his former club, fired a rocket that ended up just wide of the goal.
A.P.I.A. Leichhardt?s reply came afterwards from Anthony Hartshorn whose solid shot was well parried by Ivan Necevski before Sydney FC eventually did manage to equalise in the 69? minute.
A cross by Shannon Cole from the right found its way to an unmarked Bridge who equalised from close range.
By now the humidity had drained the energy from the Tigers and Sydney FC were clearly the superior team in the last twenty minutes or so.
In the 85? minute a cross from the right by Joe Gibbs once again found Bridge who forced the ball in off the crossbar for his third and by now the game appeared to be over bar the shouting.
Late in the match Brendan Gan had two gilt edge chances; firstly, down the right he charged, entered the box and forced Bello Amigo to save with his feet and then a header from very close range once again brought out the best in Bello Amigo.
After the game, Younis outlined some of the plans for A.P.I.A. Leichhardt in the upcoming NSW Premier League season.
?Last season we had a poor start but this season we are basically planning on having a good one,? he said.
?We need to try and get as many wins as we can under our belt so that, in the end, we are here in September in the semifinals.?
Most of the A.P.I.A. Leichhardt squad is backing up from season 2010 and this, according to Younis, can only be a positive for the club.
?It?s always good when you have the same players because we all know each other and the way we play, including the movement that we have.
?While it?s a bonus having the same players, we also have some very good additions.
?So, overall, we are happy with the squad and fingers crossed we?ll have a successful season.?
An exhausted Shannon Cole, arguably one of Sydney FC?s better performers, after the game outlined the importance of hit outs against teams like A.P.I.A. Leichhardt especially in view of his side?s important meeting in Japan next week against Kashima Antlers in the Asian Champions League.
?It?s good to get out and have a hit out and keep the engine going,? he said.
?A lot of boys who were not involved in last week?s game [against Suwon of Korea] got a run tonight and it?s important for us to work on our fitness.
?Tonight?s match was played in difficult conditions for both teams with the pitch and the humidity, but it?s all positive.
?Our next game in Japan will be difficult so we need to be prepared mentally.
?We saw what happened to Melbourne Victory in Japan, so we just need to be ready for a quick start.
?We made a very good start against Suwon tactically last week but going down to ten men was always going to be hard for an hour.
?The boys were excellent, they kept good shape and maybe we had a few chances to take all three points.?
Match Stats

A.P.I.A. LEICHHARDT 2 (R Younis 7?, 30?)

SYDNEY FC 3 (M Bridge 19?, 69?, 85?)
A.P.I.A. LEICHHARDT: 1. Jose Bello Amigo (Terry Dal Broi 46?), 2. Mark Byrnes, 3. John Kelso, 5. Michael West, 6. Marton Vass (8. Anthony Hartshorn 50?), 7. Stephen Kayes (18. Thomas Taylor 87?), 9. Robert Younis (14. Sam Messam 79?), 10. Franco Parisi, 11. Chris James, 13. David D?Apuzzo, 17. Matt Fsadni (15. David Dascal 72?).
YELLOW CARDS: Fsadni 66?
RED CARDS: Nil
SYDNEY FC: 20. Ivan Necevski (30. Dylan Michell 61?), 2. Joel Chianese (22. Sung-Hwan Byun 46?), 4. Nathan Sherlock, 5. Andrew Durante, 8. Jared Lum (6. Hirofumi Moriyasu 46?), 10. Luke Austin (15. Terry McFlynn 46?), 12. Shannon Cole, 18. Juho Makela (11. Joe Gibbs 75?), 19. Mark Bridge, 23. Rhyan Grant (14. Blake Powell 70?), 24. Dimitri Petratos (7. Brendan Gan 61?).
YELLOW CARDS: Bridge 25?
RED CARDS: Nil
-By Joe Russo (Football NSW)