Soccer: Knights pay for a lazy moment

Sydney FC 1 NZ Knights 0

A moment of lazy defending cost the New Zealand Knights dearly as they lost to Sydney at North Harbour Stadium last night.

The only goal of a lacklustre A-League soccer game came in the 58th minute when Sydney captain Mark Rudan punished the home team with a powerful volley of a loose ball on the edge of the penalty area.

It was a relief for the visitors who had gone three games without a win. But it was hardly deserved. The Knights recovered from their 5-0 thrashing by Queensland to compete strongly. Sadly they lack firepower and they gradually ran out of ideas.

They started the game with a positive approach, with defenders Darren Bazeley and Gregory Duruz regularly pushing forward to offer an attacking option. Noah Hickey and Daniel Rodrigues chased everything hard and Sydney were bustled.

But in the 10th minute the visitors came close to scoring. Knights' defender Che Bunce was yellow-carded for a reckless challenge and Alex Brosque's fierce freekick from the edge of the penalty area was turned around the post by the diving Michael Turnbull.

The Knights still pressed forward to earn a string of corners. In the 14th minute they almost made one count as Sime Kovacevic headed back across goal and Hickey's glancing header ended in the arms of Clint Bolton.

Midway through the half former Knights player Jeremy Brockie drew a sarcastic cheer from the sparse crowd when his only shot of the half barely reached Turnbull.

Ten minutes before the break Sydney created another chance when Ruben Zadkovich split the defence but the home side managed to scramble the ball clear.

Brockie found himself in the clear soon after the restart but his shot dribbled wide of the right-hand post.

At the other end Malik Buari curved a cross just too far ahead of Rodrigues as he closed on the goal.

In the 58th minute Sydney broke the deadlock. What seemed like an innocuous throw-in eluded the defence and Rudan lashed the ball into the back of the net.

Two minutes later the Knights should have equalised. Scot Gemmill headed across the goal to Buari but he blasted the ball over the top from 10m.

In the 72nd minute Turnbull had to dive full-length to turn a shot from Alex Brosque round the post. In the closing stages the Knights pushed forward in numbers but there was no late recovery.

The Knights will be back at North Harbour Stadium next Thursday night to play bottom club Central Coast Mariners, who have yet to score a goal.