Two goals in four minutes inside the final quarter-hour of their clash with Wellington Phoenix at the Sydney Football Stadium have propelled Sydney FC to the top of the Hyundai A-League standings, following their 2-0 win over the visitors on August 30. Two well-matched sides matched each other stride for stride throughout the bulk of this encounter, with goalscoring chances at a premium, such was the dominance of the respective defences. Sydney enjoyed two openings inside the first ten minutes, with the impressive Alex Brosque and hard-working fullback Sung Hwan Byun combining well on the left before the latter swung over a fifth minute cross which picked out the head of Mark Bridge. Wellington's debutant goalkeeper, Reece Crowther, grabbed this effort well, but made a right pig's ear of a situation four minutes later when he dwelt too long on the ball before clearing it, allowing Bridge to close him down. The 'keeper's attempted clearance cannoned off the striker, and there was no more relieved man than Crowther when he saw the ricochet arc narrowly past the right-hand post of a gaping net. It took another twenty minutes for the next chance of note to come to pass, then like buses, two came at once! Paul Ifill, who was harshly booked in the 21st minute by referee Strebre Delovski, created an opening for Wellington just shy of the half-hour mark when buccaneering past two opponents down the right. His cross fizzed across the face of goal, just too far in front of the incoming Chris Greenacre to capitalise upon. Sydney stormed straight down the other end, with Byun picking out Kofi Danning with a deep cross which the youngster turned into the path of Bridge, whose shot on the turn was directed straight at Crowther. Ten minutes before the interval, Byun got the better of Diego Walsh with such ease that it prompted Wellington coach Ricki Herbert to substitute the Brazilian before half-time. Byun's deflected cross, on this occasion, found the head of Danning, but he headed the ball into the ground when a more accurate attempt on goal may well have brought greater reward. Substitute Brendan Gan, an early replacement for the injured Terry McFlynn, showed his young colleague how to execute a similar opportunity three minutes before half-time, when picked out by Karol Kisel's corner. The replacement sent a header bulleting goalwards which Crowther tipped to safety in spectacular fashion, thus ensuring the first half would end without the scoreboard having altered. That trend continued well into the second half, too, despite Wellington going desperately close to breaking the deadlock with the best chance of the match thus far, in the 52nd minute. Ifill evaded one challenge but found his progress blocked. Michael Ferrante was the beneficiary of the ricochet, and his well-controlled twenty-yard drive arrowed towards the top left-hand corner of

Clint Bolton's net, only for the 'keeper to pull off a fine diving save, then maintain his wits to paw the loose ball away as Greenacre looked to pounce on the rebound. Either side of Kisel and Brosque, with a free-kick and a looping header from a Bridge cross respectively, directing the ball over the bar, Sydney went close to netting the opening goal in the 62nd minute. Substitute Steve Corica teamed up with Kisel to play in Brosque, who went down on the edge of the penalty area, but had the presence of mind to prod the ball into the path of Gan. He fired in a low, angled drive which flashed inches past the far post, just beyond the reach of John Aloisi as he slid in looking to turn the ball home. Nineteen minutes from time, the 11,718 fans present witnessed the game's lone moment of individual brilliance - this match was crying out for more such action as that produced by Leo Bertos on this occasion. The Wellington star rampaged down the left into the Sydney penalty area, weaving his way through the challenges of five players en route to executing a shot on the turn which Bolton saved low by his near post - had it gone in, this would have been a certain 'Goal of the Season' contender. But most of those present were hoping for a goal of any nature from a Sydney player, and with Wellington retreating further and further towards their own goal as their opponents pressed for a breakthrough, those hopes looked likely to be realised sooner rather than later. Sure enough, after Crowther had denied Bridge's twenty-yard strike in the 76th minute, the home team broke the deadlock from Kisel's resulting corner. His delivery found Gan in space six yards out from goal, and his header crashed past Crowther high into the back of the net, much to the delight of the Sydney faithful, who were celebrating again four minutes later as the new league leaders made the game safe. With Wellington reeling from having defended so stoutly for so long, only to have their defences breached, they were caught on the counter-attack by Sydney in the 81st minute. Six blue-clad players stormed downfield as three Wellingtonians beat a hasty retreat, but Brosque, who led the charge, always held the upper hand. And when he curled over a delightful cross which invited a quality finish, Aloisi leapt high to do just that - a textbook header which sailed past Crowther into the net to clinch a 2-0 victory for Sydney, and the top rung on the A-League ladder for the first time this season. Sydney:     Bolton; Cole, Keller, Colosimo, Byun; Danning (Corica, 59), McFlynn (Gan, 32), Kisel, Brosque; Aloisi (Jurman, 86), Bridge Wellington:     Crowther; Muscat, Durante, Sigmund, Lochhead; Walsh (Lia, 43), Ferrante (Daniel, 80), McKain, Bertos; Ifill (booked, 21), Greenacre (Hearfield, 75) Referee:     Strebre Delovski