Soccer: Adshead fuming over defensive errors

Sydney FC's Steve Corica is tackled by Knights player Jeremy Christie in their 'A' League soccer match at North Harbour Stadium last night. Picture / Fotopress

Manager John Adshead was an angry man after watching a spirited performance from the New Zealand Knights end in a 3-1 defeat to A-League soccer favourites Sydney FC in Auckland last night.

Adshead said the Knights had put in an improved showing over their 2-0 away loss to the Queensland Roar last weekend.

But he was upset with defensive errors that led to Sydney's first two goals at North Harbour Stadium.

Sydney skipper Mark Rudan benefited from a mistimed clearance to score the first in the 24th minute.

Then, just after Joshua Rose had equalised with 20 minutes to go, a lack of marking in the penalty box allowed Matthew Bingley to head home from a free kick to restore the visitors' lead.

Former Football Kingz player Robbie Middleby added insult to injury with a third goal on the break in stoppage time as the Knights pushed forward in search of a share of the points.

The final margin didn't reflect the attacking initiative the Knights showed or the balance of the match over the 90 minutes.

Adshead said the Knights did not deserve the scoreline given their performance before a healthy size crowd of 9827 noisy spectators.

"I'm really bloody angry," he said.

"I thought for 90 minutes we played as well, if not better, for long periods of time than they did, but we've got this habit of self-destructing and we've got to get out of it."

Skipper Danny Hay, who came off midway through the second half with a hamstring twinge, believed the Knights had been the dominant team over most of the match, and that made the result "so disappointing".

"To be on the end of a 3-1 scoreline is just heart-breaking, but it comes just comes down to stupid individual errors," he said.

"That's football. When you play against a side like that, you're going to get punished."

Hay added that he did not know yet how serious his hamstring injury was.

Sydney coach Pierre Littbarski was pleased to pick up the three points, suggesting that not many other visiting sides would do the same in Auckland.

"This was a very good Knights team that will prove very tough to beat here at home," the former German World Cup winner said.

"It was a good game played at a fast pace with good action for the crowd. We played as a team of 11 and scored good goals."

- NZPA