Rovers ended the Sydney Festival of Football as runners up after defeating Sydney FC 2-1 in their final game.

After slow starts in the previous matches against Rangers and eventual winners AEK Athens, Rovers were quick out of the blocks against hosts Sydney.

Chances came and went for Rovers, but eventually the deadlock was broken on 37 minutes when Sydney native Brett Emerton controlled Nzonzi's flick with his chest before firing home from close range.

The second half saw Rovers double their lead when substitute Junior Hoilett crossed and Morten Gamst Pedersen bundled the ball home.

Alex Brosque gave the home fans some cheer when he finished a flowing move to reduce arrears with nine minutes to go, but despite a couple of late scares, they held on to claim the win.

Sam Allardyce chose to shuffle his pack once again for the third and final match of the Sydney Festival of Football, and from the very start they were sprightly against the host team.

Just sixty seconds were on the clock when Rovers fashioned their first chance, El-Hadji Diouf doing well down the left to find the overlapping Olsson, but the Swede's shot from a tight angle was well saved by Liam Reddy in the Sydney FC goal.

Two minutes later and Ryan Nelsen was a whisker away from connecting with a Morten Gamst Pedersen free-kick, the Rovers captain dived full length but just couldn't reach the ball into the box.

Rovers continued to pour forward at every opportunity, Pedersen saw a free-kick land on the roof of the net, then from another delivery from the Norwegian into the box, Steven Nzonzi saw a header cleared off the line.

Creating more chances in the opening fifteen minutes than in the previous two games, Salgado then struck the bar with a centre before Pedersen shot wide with a right-footed effort.

At the other end of the pitch goalkeeper Mark Bunn had been barely called upon, but that changed on 16 minutes when a cross from the left picked out Mick Carle at the near post, but Bunn was down quickly to thwart the danger.

Diouf and Olsson both sent over teasing crosses that Pedersen couldn't convert, but finally after knocking on the door, they finally broke it down on 37 minutes.

Gael Givet sent over a free-kick from half way, Steven Nzonzi flicked the ball backwards with his head and Brett Emerton was free in the six yard box to control the ball on his chest before turning and firing past Reddy.

Some inconsistent refereeing threatened to spoil the match, Dunn and Grella on the end of some strange officiating, but at the break there was no denying Rovers deserved their lead.

Rovers were unchanged at the start of the second half, but they soon made changes as all three Antipodean players - Vince Grella, Brett Emerton and Ryan Nelsen made way, Phil Jones, Grant Hanley and Junior Hoilett coming on to replace.

Hoilett was immediately into the thick of the action as he laid the ball neatly back to Dunn but his effort was blocked. The Phil Jones was involved as he crossed from the right for Morten Gamst Pedersen, but his flick was well saved at the near post.

But on 65 minutes hosts Sydney should have been level, sharp passing play saw Mick Carle advance into the area, he unselfishly squared it for Mark Bridge but his sidefoot across the area saw the ball go wide.

Sydney were to regret that missed chance when just 90 seconds later Rovers doubled their lead.

Junior Hoilett twisted and turned on the left to make space for the cross, Keith Andrews flicked the ball on, Reddy in the Sydney goal couldn't hold onto the deflection and Morten Gamst Pedersen was on hand to bundle the ball over the line.

Slack play by Rovers allowed Sydney back into the match on 81 minutes, firstly Jones was slow to close down his man, then Andrews allowed his to run free as Brendan Gan fed Alex Brosque in the area, the Sydney midfielder curling the ball past Bunn into the far corner.

That set up a lively ending to the game, Shannon Cole thought he had evened up the scores with a thunderbolt effort from 20 yards. The ball looked to be arrowing into the far top corner until Mark Bunn pulled off a superb fingertip save. Nerves were jangling from the resultant corner, but Rovers just about cleared their lines.

Whilst Rovers ended the game jittery, the victory meant they ended the tournament runners-up behind winners AEK Athens.

The team jet back to the UK on Sunday, spending a week at Brockhall training before the weekend matches against Hearts and Celtic in Scotland.

SYDNEY FC: Reddy, Ryall, Musialik (sub Moriyasu 65 mins), Carle (sub Grant 76 mins), Cole, Golec, Brosque (sub Antonis 82 mins), McFlynn (sub Gan 62 mins), Bridge (sub Danning 80 mins), Jamieson, Byun.

Subs not used: Jurman, Guilo, Necevski, Mitchell.

ROVERS: Bunn, Salgado (sub Chimbonda 71 mins), Olsson, Nelsen (sub Hanley 58 mins), Givet, Grella (sub Jones 57 mins), Emerton (sub Hoilett 57 mins), Dunn (sub Andrews 66 mins), Pedersen, Diouf, Nzonzi.

Subs not used: Robinson, Jacobsen, Linganzi, Morris, Rigters.

Attendance: 15,237