But while there wasn’t much they could do about that, the second goal came after Payne attempted to clear a loose ball and missed, leaving Barbarouses with plenty space to run into and fire home a shot. It was far from the first individual error they have made at the back this season – all of the defensive unit, which also includes centre backs Luke Devere and Joshua Laws, and left back James McGarry, have had their blemishes, and they’re yet to keep a clean sheet – and Payne acknowledged they have to do better. “I think this year as a unit and as a team as a whole we feel we re very close, and we re very disappointed in ourselves and how we ve conceded goals and how we ve lost matches, but we also know that we ve created a lot of chances, and we ve been there or thereabouts, or by far the better team, in the majority of our matches.
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Sydney FC star Kosta Barbarouses eroded any doubts about his confidence levels by scoring twice in a 2-1 victory A-League win over Wellington.
The 30-year-old celebrated his first brace in two years against his former side at Kogarah, ending a dry spell of just one goal for the season for the league champions.
Pressure was mounting after scoring just once against Western United three weeks ago off a penalty, which ended a 15-game streak without a goal.
However, the New Zealand striker showed his class in both goals in Monday night s win.
The first came off a supreme pass from Alexander Baumjohann, who had been elevated to the starting side for the first time this season.