Sydney FC edge past Newcastle Jets on penalties to reach A-League Grand Final

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/garuccio-benjamin/vkLTlyaf/"]Ben Garuccio[/a] sealed ‌the shootout after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sydney-fc/6JsBlXVI/"]Sydney[/a] ⁠goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/devenish-meares-harrison/Ot6dzeGD/"]‌Harrison Devenish-Meares[/a] saved [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bertoncello-xavier/SdeliVN8/"]Xavier Bertoncello[/a]'s ​effort, leaving most of a sold-out crowd ​at McDonald Jones Stadium devastated.[/p][p]Patrick Kisnorbo's Sydney will ⁠bid ​for a record-extending sixth league title at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/auckland-fc/2J7jacL6/"]Auckland FC[/a], having been held ‌1-1 at home by the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/newcastle-jets/EaZ5xZo0/"]Jets[/a] in the first leg.[/p][p]"I kind of had my spot, I was ‌confident with it," said Garuccio of his winner.[/p][p]"It worked out. The boys were so good.[/p][p]"[b]I think (Devenish-Meares) has been the best keeper in the league by a country mile[/b]."[/p][embed guid="c7a22d36-7ded-454e-b3eb-dcfcd2e6f641" url="https://x.com/SydneyFC/status/2055636357633208611" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/quispe-piero/Aaox2dr5/"]Piero Quispe[/a] put ‌Sydney 1-0 up in the 64th minute and ⁠the visitors defended grimly to be ‌within seconds of victory but Newcastle winger [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/adams-eli/G4LV2oet/"]Eli Adams[/a] conjured a last-gasp equaliser in ​the sixth minute of injury time.[/p][p]Newcastle won the Australian Cup in the off-season and the Premier's Plate for finishing top of the table ‌at the end of ​the regular season.[/p][p]But their ‌bid to become the first team to complete Australian football's "triple crown" fell one trophy short.[/p][p]"[b]We've had ⁠so many amazing memories this ​year. Football can be cruel at times but I'm just so incredibly proud of what this team has done together -- along with the fans[/b]," said Newcastle playmaker [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/burgess-max/vNxdKvbN/"]Max Burgess[/a].[/p][p]In a see-sawing, high-tempo contest, neither side could convert until ‌Sydney striker [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/stamatelopoulos-apostolos/WvUYHJwU/"]Apostolos Stamatelopoulos[/a] carved open Newcastle's defence with a trademark gallop down the right flank and crossed to 16-year-old wunderkind [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/akon-akol/ULmSCyo9/"]Akol Akon[/a].[/p][p]Akon's shot was parried by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/delianov-james/Wt1TGJPH/"]Delianov[/a] but pint-sized Peruvian Quispe was on the spot, swooping on the rebound to tuck the ball home.[/p][p]Newcastle peppered the Sydney goal in search of an equaliser but were repeatedly thwarted.[/p][p]With seconds ticking down to full-time, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wilmering-daniel/rNJmigFM/"]Daniel Wilmering[/a] whipped a low-driven cross into the area, finding Adams who volleyed it goalwards, sending the match into extra time and Newcastle fans ‌into delirium.[/p][embed guid="7a661337-6f1a-4836-95a3-11c1d66b0e73" url="https://x.com/SydneyFC/status/2055635013371404549" social-type="twitter" /][p]Sydney FC had a glorious chance to settle the matter late in ​extra time when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/popovic-alexandar/KhZetBfH/"]Alexandar Popovic[/a] rose highest for a corner, but ‌he hammered his close-range header straight at Delianov.[/p][p]Delianov denied the visitors again when he blocked [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lolley-joe/QFQBpERj/"]Joe Lolley[/a]'s opening effort in the shootout with an acrobatic dive.[/p][p]But Devenish-Meares answered from the next kick with his own brilliant save to foil Newcastle captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/grozos-kosta/SlSp4V6K/"]Kosta Grozos[/a] and then Bertoncello, clearing ⁠the way for Garuccio's winner and ⁠another Sydney tilt at the ‌title in Auckland in a week's time.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/newcastle-jets-EaZ5xZo0/sydney-fc-6JsBlXVI/?mid=fV09n3LN"]See all the stats from the match here[/a][/b][/p]