A semi-final clash between the best attack and best defence in the A-League lived up to the billing as Sydney FC and Newcastle Jets duked it out at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night.<\/p>\n
In the end there was no winner, with Eli Adams cancelling out Apostolos Stamatelopoulos\u2019 opener as the match burst to life in the second half, but you can be sure that every fan who went along to the first leg got their money\u2019s worth.<\/p>\n
The first half had everything but a goal. 16-year-old Akol Akon loomed dangerously for the Sky Blues, who put in arguably their best performance since Patrick Kisnorbo took the reins, while the Jets showed another string to their bow with a strong defensive display.<\/p>\n
So much of the build-up revolved around Max Burgess, who has been reborn in the Hunter after being frozen out by the Sky Blues last term, and he was again influential in the centre of the park, going head-to-head with young duo Paul Okon-Engstler and Wataru Kamijo.<\/p>\n
.@SydneyFC<\/a> strike first in this Semi-Final tie thanks to Apostolos Stamatelopoulos! \ud83d\udd25<\/p>\n The former Jet gives the Sky Blues the advantage at Allianz, heading the ball over an onrushing James Delianov and into the back of the net \ud83d\udc4f<\/p>\n Watch #SYDvNEW<\/a> live NOW on Paramount+ \ud83d\udcfa pic.twitter.com\/dMMFv70PGX<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Paramount+ Australia (@ParamountPlusAU) May 9, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n It took a moment of fortune to break open a match that seemed destined for a goal far earlier than one eventually arrived.<\/p>\n Stamatelopoulos, the former Jet, was the beneficiary after Piero Quispe won the ball high on the left and fed Tiago Quintal, whose strike deflected, spun and bounced over Mark Natta into the path of the Sydney FC striker who nodded over James Delianov.<\/p>\n The biggest name in the A-League (literally) has developed a habit of only scoring in the biggest of matches this term, adding a semi-final goal to his others in the Big Blue and Sydney Derby.<\/p>\n However, the home side\u2019s advantage did not last long. After a former Jet scored the opener, it was a former Sky Blue who laid on the equaliser just seven minutes later.<\/p>\n Clayton Taylor played nearly 50 matches in the NPL for Sydney FC and it was the crafty midfielder who made something out of nothing by taking on three defenders by himself, before somehow emerging with the ball in the final third and producing a perfect ball for Adams, who fired venomously past the in-form Harrison Devenish-Meares.<\/p>\n In truth, it had not been the 24-year-old\u2019s night up to that point, but his celebration \u2013 staring down the crowd nonchalantly \u2013 told a story.<\/p>\n Eli Adams gets his fourth goal in three games to level the tie for @NewcastleJetsFC<\/a> \ud83e\udd76<\/p>\n It’s some brilliant work from Clayton Taylor to find Newcastle’s Number Seven, who makes no mistake with the strike \ud83d\udcaa<\/p>\n Watch #SYDvNEW<\/a> live NOW on Paramount+ \ud83d\udcfa pic.twitter.com\/8T8bxxITr4<\/a><\/p>\n