For the second week in a row, the Newcastle Jets claimed all three points late as Dimi Petratos stood tall once again.
Petratos slotted a late penalty to send the majority of the 8,146 fans home happy, in a match that had plenty of drama.
The match began slowly with both sides struggling to create any chances of note inside the opening twenty minutes, on a warm afternoon at McDonlald Jones Stadium.
Andrew Nabbout went close with a couple of chances in the opening exchanges. The first came when Ivan Vujica cut back a pinpoint low cross to the near post, which Nabbout tipped just across the face of goal.
On the second occasion, Nabbout found space down the right flank, and chipped his cross to the middle, which the Reds defence did well to scramble over the byline for a corner.
The sides headed to the half-time deadlocked, and when they returned the match came to life as Andrew Nabbout scored from close range.
The ball fell for Nabbout after Dimi Petratos was closed down by Vince Lia and the ball ricocheted off the Adelaide midfielder and into Nabbout who swivelled, turned and curled his shot past Reds’ keeper Paul Izzo.
There was a brief moment of confusion, as Nabbout was clearly in an offside position, however the VAR determined Lia’s touch propelled the ball to the Jets’ striker and not Petratos.
After going a goal behind, Adelaide had to respond and did so via George Blackwood in the 67th minute as Marrone curled in a perfect cross, which he superbly slotted to lock up the match.
Things heated up after the equaliser, with both sides creating chances. The best fell to Joe Champness who slipped over after Andrew Nabbout played him in on goal.
However, the biggest drama was still to come. In the 87th minute Dimi Petratos weaved his way into the box and struck a shot that ricocheted off Ersan Gulum and into the arm of Ryan Strain.
The decision was reviewed by the VAR, and the original decision by referee Stephen Lucas stood. Amongst the chaos Adelaide assistant coach Filip Tapalović was sent off, and minutes later Dimi Petratos put all the tension behind him, and coolly slotted from the spot.
The Jets scored late for the second week in a row to claim all three points.
From the coach:
“I think we are very fit and we played the game out, the entire 95 minutes tonight. The determination of the boys to get something out of the game was terrific.”
“Some you win, some you lose, the referee says a penalty. Then they go upstairs and they check with the video and he say it’s a penalty, then it’s a penalty.”
The moments:
16’ | 0 – 0 | CHANCE! Vujica tucks in behind the Adelaide defence and whips in a dangerous low cross into the area, Nabbout gets a slight touch but his effort goes JUST across the face of goal #NEWvADL
27’ | 0 – 0 | Kantarovski with a brilliant sliding tackle to halt an attacking raid from the Reds #NEWvADL
33’ | 0 – 0 | CHANCE! Nabbout with a dangerous run down the right edge, almost finding Champness in the area #NEWvADL
36’ | 0 – 0 | Oh so close! A spectacular effort from Nabbout after being released by Petratos – but all to no avail, as he is ruled offside #NEWvADL
54’ | 1 – 0 | GOAL! Nabbout! #NEWvADL
55’ | 1 – 0 | Petratos with the assist for Nabbout to give us the lead! #NEWvADL
79’ | 1 – 1 | CHANCE! Nabbout gets a headed chance but can’t connect as a charging Joey Champness can’t misses with the follow up #NEWvADL
66’ | 1 – 1 | Scores are level as George Blackwood finds the back of the net #NEWvADL
86’ | 1 – 1 | PENALTY to the Jets for a handball in the area. VAR to review #NEWvADL
87’ | 1 – 1 | It’s been awarded! #NEWvADL
87’ | 2 – 1 | GOAL! Petratos makes no mistake from the spot! #NEWvADL
Newcastle Jets: 4.Nigel BOOGAARD (c), 5.Ben KANTAROVSKI, 6.Steven UGARKOVIC, 7.Dimitri PETRATOS, 10.Wayne BROWN, 13.Ivan VUJICA, 15.Andrew NABBOUT, 18.Johnny KOUTROUMBIS, 20.Glenn MOSS (gk), 24.Joe CHAMPNESS, 44.Nikolai TOPOR-STANLEY
Subs: 3.Jason HOFFMAN, 19.Kosta PETRATOS, 22.Lachlan JACKSON
Subs Not Used: 23. Devante CLUT, 30.Ivan NECEVSKI (gk)
Yellow Cards: Koutroumbis (9’), D. Petratos (26’)
Red Cards:
Goals: Nabbout 55’, Petratos (p 89’)
Adelaide United: 2.Michael MARRONE, 6.Vince LIA, 7.Ryan KITTO, 8.ISAÍAS (c), 14.George BLACKWOOD, 16.Nathan KONSTANDOPOULOS, 17.Nikola MILEUSNIC, 20.Paul IZZO (gk), 22.Ersan GÜLÜM, 23.Jordan ELSEY, 29.Ryan STRAIN
Subs: 5.Taylor REGAN, 12.Mark OCHIENG, 25.Apostolos STAMATELOPOULOS
Subs Not Used: 1.Daniel MARGUSH (gk), 24.Jordan O’DOHERTY
Yellow Cards: Gülüm (36’), N. Konstandopoulos (51’), Lia (88’), Isaias (88’), Regan (90+5’)
Red Cards:
Goals: Blackwood (67’)
