Soccer: Knights rely on plan to stifle York

It does not shape as the game of the round but there is plenty hanging on tonight's Aussie Stadium clash between wannabe champions Sydney FC and the wooden spoon-licking New Zealand Knights.

Both teams go into the opening ninth round clash on the back of last-start hidings. On that count the Knights are slightly ahead. They lost by two at home to Queensland Roar. Sydney went down by five on the road in Melbourne. Neither team managed a goal.

If he is downcast and facing another dollop of doom, Knights boss John Adshead is not showing it. Rather, he appears to have designed a plan to nullify the threat posed by Dwight Yorke.

"The heads are up. Everyone is up for the game," said Adshead after the team trained in Sydney yesterday. "Sure, I'm afraid they will come out firing. They will be a bit stung by that 5-0 loss."

The plan to look after Yorke could involve young defender Cole Tinkler who made a good fist of his first start last week.

"He did not do himself any harm," said Adshead, who hinted Tinkler might be better suited to look after Yorke than a more confrontational player like John Tambouras.

While Tinkler is likely to get a run from the start, young midfield/striker Jeremy Brockie is more likely to start as a substitute and get some game time later.

Adshead has a number of options. He will probably go for either Ben Collett or Ronnie Bull for one midfield berth but look to work his strikers from the bench.

Simon Yeo will almost certainly start but Adshead will toss up between Noah Hickey and Sean Devine as his workmate up front with one on the bench with Brockie.

Given his solid efforts in recent outings, Danny Milosevic will probably get the nod in goal leaving the unlucky Glen Moss to await another chance.

The Knights earlier lost 3-1 to Sydney without Yorke at North Harbour Stadium and will not find this any easier.

Back home tomorrow after their snatch and grab raid in Auckland, Queensland have the chance to inflict further misery on the one-time top dog Adelaide United.

Melbourne Victory, a point clear at the top after their romp over Sydney, could consolidate their position even allowing for the difficult away trip to Perth on Sunday. Perth have fallen to seventh place and must bounce back from a harrowing 4-0 loss in Gosford. Encouraged by that win, the Central Coast Mariners will be looking for more of the same on the short trip to Newcastle on Sunday and their clash with another last round winner.

KNIGHTS V SYDNEY

FC Aussie Stadium, Sydney. Tonight 11pm (NZ time)

Referee: Ben Williams

Sydney FC: Clint Bolton, Iain Fyfe, Alvin Ceccoli, Mark Rudan, Rob Middleby, Matthew Bingley, David Zdrilic, Steve Corica, Sasho Petrovski, Dave Carney, Andrew Packer, Terry McFlynn, Jacob Timpano, Dwight Yorke, Mark Rudan, Justin Pasfield.

NZ Knights: Danny Milosevic, Darren Bazeley, Ronnie Bull, John Tambouras, Danny Hay, Ben Collett, Simon Yeo, Sean Devine, Zenon Caravella, Cole Tinkler, Jeremy Brockie, Josh Maguire, Noah Hickey, Naoki Imaya, Glen Moss.

Odds: Sydney $1.28, draw $4.40, Knights $10.

Prediction: Stung after being walloped by Melbourne, Sydney will be fired up. The Knights don't seem to have anything to put the fire out . Knights rely on plan to stifle Yorke