Brazilian Fabio Gomes has helped deliver Sydney FC their first silverware in three years after the striker fired a double to complete a 3-1 Australia Cup final win over the Brisbane Roar on Saturday night.
Thomas Waddingham put Brisbane ahead in the 18th minute before supersub Gomes levelled from the penalty spot soon after coming on in the second half.
Gomes’ penalty was to prove Sydney’s spark, the striker claiming a second goal in added time after Robert Mak had put Sydney in the lead.
It is the first trophy Steve Corica’s men have won since the 2020 A-League Men championship and came despite Jack Rodwell and Socceroos leftback Joel King being unavailable with injury.
At times, on Saturday in front of 15,482 at Allianz Stadium, the Sky Blues weren’t at their best and had to ride their luck.
Defender Jake Girdwood-Reich was fortunate to not be sent off for elbowing Brisbane winger Henry Hore in the face.
Brisbane skipper Tom Aldred soldiered on through a shoulder injury picked up early in the game and the Roar, for the most part, were the better side.
The club have been a rabble on and off the field in recent years but the return of Ross Aloisi as head coach and their run to the final has created a buzz about what they could achieve in the league this season.
They sounded a handful of warning shots before Hore sent a low cross into the box which deflected into Waddingham’s path and the young striker was on hand to tuck the ball in.
The goal was the 18-year-old’s fourth in five starts in the Australia Cup.
Brisbane kept searching for a second and Sydney were becoming increasingly frustrated with how easily they were being pulled apart.
On one of their raids forward Hore was clattered by Girdwood-Reich and got up with blood streaming from his nose.
Replays showed Girdwood-Reich had led with his elbow but with no VAR in use in the Australia Cup, referee Ben Abraham couldn’t call on technology and the Sydney man escaped with a yellow card.
Jay O’Shea went close to doubling Brisbane’s lead in the second half before Hore was penalised for a handball inside his own box in the 68th minute.
Gomes, who had only just come on the field, buried it and Brisbane began to wobble.
Mak turned in a cross at the back post four minutes after Gomes’ equaliser, before the Brazilian frontman tapped in during the 91st minute to wrap up victory.
