YOU couldn't have scripted a more perfect fairytale for Sydney FC midfielder Shannon Cole on Saturday night.

With 10 minutes to play at Gosford and the scores tied at 2-2 in the derby against Central Coast Mariners, Sydney looked to be on their knees after Stuart Musialik's dismissal midway through the second half. The Mariners threw on Nik Mrdja to capitalise on their numerical advantage, hoping to strike the killer blow against their southern rivals. But Sydney refused to lie down, and instead pressed forward to win a free kick 30 metres from goal. Cole, as he had done all night, stepped forward to take it.

"I just had a quick look up at the goal, a quick look at [Danny] Vukovic's position, summed it up and picked my spot," he said after the match. "I didn't think about it too much to be honest, I was just focusing on the ball."

With a precision normally reserved for the elite of the game, Cole hit a perfect free kick that dipped and swerved before clipping the inside of Vukovic's right-hand post and bouncing in. It was a moment of pure ecstasy for the travelling hordes of Sydney fans, who could have been forgiven for losing hope after Musialik's second yellow card.

Not only were they rewarded with a sensational goal, but one of the A-League's most memorable goal celebrations as well - a momentary pause, followed by an instinctive forward flip and somersault.

"I haven't done that for a long time. A very long time. There was a bit of Beijing inspiration about that one," he said. "I was joking with [Football Superstar winner] Adam Hett pre-game about what I'd like to do, but I didn't think about it, to be honest. I kind of froze for a second and wasn't sure it had gone in. It was disbelief at first but once I realised, the adrenalin kicked in."

Boy's Own moments aside, the ex-Sydney Olympic star put in another strong performance, which suggests he'll make left midfield his own this season, ending Kosmina's search to fill that position. Surprisingly, he lays claim to being a natural right-footer, although he's clearly capable on either side.

It hasn't taken him long to cement his role as the club's specialist set-piece taker either, and he likes how his teammates have thrown their support behind him taking the dead ball.

"It gives me a bit of confidence that the boys have that much faith in me early on," Cole said. "It definitely gives me a boost when the boys look over to me, give me a smile and a thumbs up. After just two games, that helps.

"But I hope it's just an extra on top of my game, so hopefully if I can get some more minutes, I can show a lot more of what I've got to offer. But it's something I've worked very hard on, not just for myself but for the team, and tonight it helped us get the points.

"The last two games have been fantastic for me, so I'm just going to just keep enjoying it, working hard and learning as much as I can."

The story could so easily have been different for Cole and his teammates, but it has quickly become evident that while Sydney FC have assembled an excellent squad on paper, their depth of character might be their biggest asset.

"We never gave up hope that we could get over the line," Cole said. "I think we had to play smart when we went down to 10 men, but we definitely had players who could produce goals.

"A lot of my mates came up for the game, as did my parents and my nan, so it was great to play in front of them and then to get the three points. It made for a great night."