Alex Brosque has ended Sydney FC’s goal drought and saved a frustrating night for Filip Holosko, steering the Sky Blues to a 1-0 win over Newcastle.

The skipper netted his 50th A-League goal on Friday night via a sublime finish that deservingly put to bed 307 goalless minutes for the club that had not managed a win in five rounds.

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After two dour stalemates, Sydney finally inserted some pep into their vaunted attack.

It was just as well, given the stands were largely devoid of life.

Allianz Stadium was not quite a ghost town, but Graham Arnold’s mansion was certainly quiet in the second match of a league-wide fan boycott in protest against Football Federation Australia.

A season-low 9,155 attended and though they chanted admirably in the Western Stand, could not plug the deafening silence emanating from the empty area that usually houses `The Cove’.

Sydney offset the lack of atmosphere by pressing well, growing in intensity to keep the Jets penned inside their third bar a few counter-attacking runs.

Rhyan Grant was perhaps the most energetic as he battled on the right flank with the rejuvenated David Carney, while Andrew Hoole, making his debut start for Sydney against his old club, showed plenty of promise on the left wing.

But for all the Sky Blues’ improvement they still lacked the finishing touch – and no player felt the pain more than marquee Holosko.

In the 17th minute, the Slovakian international botched a sitter at point-blank range, lacking venom in his approach to a cutback from Hoole and angling his effort into the post.

Not 10 minutes later he missed again, shooting a metre wide as he struggled inside a sandwich of two Jets defenders despite a nice ball from Milos Ninkovic.

Then, when Brosque played wide for Grant to chip promisingly inside, Holosko made his most decent connection yet with an on-target header.

If only it hadn’t flown straight into goalkeeper Mark Birighitti’s arms.

Birighitti, the custodian with the most saves in the league, did not so much have to work to extend his record as stand still and wait, as Holosko flicked another shot straight to him just before the break.

Holosko’s night would have been so much worse had Enver Alivodic not drilled over the post having over-stretched to reach a deflected cross from Milos Trifunovic.

But where the Jets had their chances, including a horrid miskick from young Braedyn Crowley and a too-high header from Nick Cowburn, Brosque mastered his opportunity.

The captain, who been menacing all match in the striker role in place of the benched Shane Smeltz, took a blistering run down the field in the 57th minute and finished with a crisp left-foot strike.

Brosque’s night had a bitter end though, the veteran striker hit the deck clutching his hamstring and limped off the field.