Sydney in pole position for finals?

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Sitting pretty ... Sydney battle the Heart, Glory, Roar and Phoenix for a finals berth. Source: Dean Lewins / AAP

Back up into fifth position, pending Melbourne Heart's clash with Adelaide United on Monday, Sydney FC have that finals sniff about them again.

Which two teams will make the A-League top six?

Their excellent 2-0 win on Saturday night has them in marginal pole position ahead of Newcastle, Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne Heart in the race for the final two spots in the finals.

But while their run home features Victory, Wanderers and Roar, they couldn't have got off to a better start than in an energetic display against the Mariners.

Two goals were the difference for the home side – but it was work without the ball that defined this performance – and could set the tone for the final weeks of the season.

In fact, two moments defined the display.

On 80 minutes, young midfielder Chris Triantis flung himself at a shot in the box in a sensational piece of commitment at the back end of a lung bursting display in midfield.

Ten minutes later, captain Terry McFlynn, the much maligned skipper at Moore Park, received a standing ovation from his home fans.

Earlier this season, he suffered the indignity of being booed by the same gallery, but the Northern Irishman has put his head down, worked hard and received a new contract.

He might cop plenty of stick in forums around the country, but no one at the ground could doubt his contribution in thwarting the former competition pace setters. The captain covered many a mile and read the play expertly.

If Sydney want to be a major player and walk the walk come finals time, they need to be able to beat the big teams.

Was this them at their most fluent best? Not at all. But the effort and discipline was the key.

		P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
1	Western Sydney	24	16	2	6	15	50
2	Central Coast	24	13	6	5	22	45
3	Victory	24	12	4	8	3	40
4	Adelaide	23	11	3	9	1	36
5	Sydney	24	9	3	12	-8	30
6	Newcastle	25	8	6	11	-12	30
7	Brisbane	24	8	5	11	1	29
8	Perth	24	8	4	12	-2	28
9	Heart	23	8	3	12	-2	27
10	Wellington	25	6	6	13	-18	24

They can tick the Mariners off that list, twice. And the template was there for the home fans to see the discipline and organisation they have craved all season.

"They just did everything they cold to win. Wasn't the greatest, but Sydney did everything they needed to win. The pitch helped Sydney, the Mariners could not get their passing game together either and they definitely looked lethargic," Fox Sports football expert Mark Bosnich said.

Rhyan Grant – who Farina lauded as arguably Sydney's best this season – gave Bernie Ibini no freedom and Sebastian Ryall's solid form was rewarded with a crucial goal.

The biggest problem for the Sky Blues?

Just as they need a run of form, they need to find something they've lacked all year: consistency.

But at home, they're on a roll, winning six on the trot. They'll be in Sydney for the next two weeks – a Big Blue, followed by a derby at Parramatta Stadium in a fortnight, which is set to be an epic, finals-like stage.

"We haven't had a run really all season. There's three games to go ... we need another three or six points," Farina concluded.

North of the border, what does Brisbane Roar coach Mike Mulvey make of the equation, now that his side is one point adrift of sixth?

"We've got three games left; two at home. The performance is the key, I'm really happy with it. If we continue in that vein, we should be okay."

So, who will squeeze in? Vote in our poll at the top of the page and join the debate!