Blacktown City produced another impressive performance to down Sydney FC 3-0 at Landen Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Jak O’Brien scored late in the first half to give City a halftime lead before Travis Major and Lachlan Campbell added further to the scoreline.
The game adopted a frantic pace in the opening exchanges with both teams getting plenty of shots off.
It was a blistering start from Blacktown who almost took the lead within three minutes.
Charles Mendy burst down the right and got a ball in to Grant Lynch at the far post who sent an early crisp volley thundering back off the crossbar.
The visitors returned fire in the 19th minute when Matthew Scarcella lined up an effort from outside the box but the ball bounced onto the left post.
City went on the attack a couple of minutes later having two chances to score, firstly through O’Brien.
The attacker nicked the ball on the edge of the box and drove forward, but he took a weak shot that Sydney goalkeeper Adam Pavlesic comfortably held onto.
Not long after, Mendy fired a low strike from the right of the box that Pavlesic managed to grab again.
Sydney’s Scarcella unleashed another dangerous long-range effort 27 minutes in; this time the ball flashed just past the left post.
The chances continued to flow as Sydney captain Hayden Matthews missed at point-blank range and City’s O’Brien also sent one over before the half-hour mark.
With six minutes until halftime, the hosts bagged the opener.
Tyren Burnie with a curling cross from the right of the box that found O’Brien at the back post who bundled home his 15th goal of the season.
The side took their lead into the break with the potential of winning five successive matches in the National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s.
Six minutes into the second period, Blacktown doubled their advantage.
Adam Berry’s swinging delivery from the edge of the box dropped to Major at the far post who nodded a super looping header over Pavlesic and in.
Balls into the box continued to cause problems for the Sydney backline as the home side missed several chances to find a third.
The pressure finally told in the 74th minute as Blacktown picked up another goal with an identical set-up to their second.
Berry’s cross once again found Major at the back post whose headed effort was this time parried by Pavlesic but only as far as Campbell who tapped home.
With City in a commanding position, the match fizzled out confirming another big three points for Mark Crittenden’s men.
Match Stats
Blacktown City FC 3 (Jak O’Brien 39’, Travis Major 52’, Lachlan Campbell 74’)
Sydney FC 0
Sunday 9 July 2023
Landen Stadium, Seven Hills
Referee: Stephen Lucas
Assistant Referees: Matthew Mcorist and Nick Gela
Fourth Official: Hayden Michlmayr
Blacktown City FC: 1. Tristan Prendergast (GK), 4. Lachlan Campbell, 5. Grant Lynch (22. Carlos De Oliveira 75’), 7. Travis Major (6. Matthew Lewis 75’), 8. Jak O’Brien, 10. Mario Shabow (C) (16. Ben Berry 78’), 12. Tyren Burnie, 15. Ignacio Palacios Corral, 18. Nicholas O’Brien, 19. Adam Berry, 21. Charles Mendy (9. Reuben Awaritefe 66’)
Substitutes Not Used: 14. Caleb Jackson-Brown, 20. Cayden Henderson
Yellow Cards: Reuben Awaritefe 89’
Red Cards: Nil
Sydney FC: 30. Adam Pavlesic (GK), 2. Cameron Fong, 6. Matthew Scarcella, 9. Mitchell Glasson, 12. Lachlan Middleton (33. Will Kennedy 63’), 13. Hayden Matthews (C), 15. Dylan Rose (21. Louis Agosti 46’), 16. Joseph Calusic, 32. Oscar Fryer (10. Alen Harbas 46’), 34. Max Buratto, 38. Zachary De Jesus (7. Ben Gibson 55’)
Substitutes Not Used: 1. Gus Hoefsloot (GK), 24. Jared Middleton
Yellow Cards: Lachlan Middleton 52’
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 – Travis Major (BC)
2 – Grant Lynch (BC)
1 – Adam Berry (BC)
Report by Timothy Gibson, on Twitter @Timg123_