SYDNEY (AP) - Sydney FC cemented first place in the A-League with a 2-0 win over Newcastle, while Adelaide’s winless start to its title defense stretched to four matches.
Sydney’s fourth straight win lifted it three points clear atop the table from Melbourne City, which beat Adelaide 2-1 on Friday to leave the defending champion with only a point from four rounds.
Captain Alex Brosque’s third goal of the season gave Sydney an early lead at Newcastle’s McDonald Jones Stadium, and Milos Ninkovic clinched the win in the second half.
Bruno Fornaroli took his tally to four goals for the season with a double that gave Melbourne City its third win from four games.
Coach Graham Arnold warned rivals that Sydney can still improve even though it’s made a perfect start to the season and hasn’t conceded a goal in the last seven league games, from last season.
“It’s round four. It’s nothing,” Arnold said. “For me, there’s so much more potential in this team.
“They’re starting to believe more and more of the quality of this team and what it can do.”
Arnold was particularly concerned with the inability of the Sydney midfield to serve sole striker Bobo. Sydney has 11 goals in four matches without conceding.
“Still disappointing for me a little bit is we’re not finding Bobo when he’s ready,” Arnold said. “Bobo’s making fantastic runs in the box or in behind, and we don’t see him.
“The crosses are too late, or we take one touch more than we need before we deliver. As a striker, once that happens, then you’re left standing still. Once the combination and timing gets better and better, we’ll end up in a real good place.”
Melbourne City overcame a tough schedule of three matches in seven days, including an FFA Cup semifinal derby against the Melbourne Victory, to stay within three points of Sydney.
Midfielder Luke Brattan had an outstanding match and Fornaroli’s clinical finishing lifted his overall tally to 29 goals from 33 A-League appearances.
Central Coast rallied after conceding a goal to Western Sydney in the second minute to earn a 1-1 draw. Brendon Santalab scored early from Nicolas Martinez’s neat reverse pass and Western Sydney seemed headed for its second win before teenager Adam Berry intercepted an underhit back pass for the equalizer.
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