It was a night of less than desirable weather conditions but the Jets brought the thunder as they claimed their second victory of the season with a 2-1 win over Brisbane Roar on Thursday night at home.
After last weekend’s heartbreaking loss to Adelaide United, the Jets were out for redemption in what was the first game of a busy February schedule, and they couldn’t have started in better fashion as they claimed all three points in front of thousands of happy fans.
Here are all the major talking points spawned from our victory against Brisbane Roar and what’s next to come.
GOALS WITHOUT OUR MAIN MAN
Georgian-gun and top goal scorer Beqa Mikeltadze was a late withdrawal from our match against Brisbane, suffering a minor injury against Adelaide the weekend before. However, his absence didn’t prove to be our downfall as our team proved they can score goals without the main striker.
Angus Thurgate’s goal meant he is now the sixth unique goal scorer this season.
It was always going to be tough without our talented number 9, but with Eli Babalj and the returning Valentino Yuel sharing time up front, the side was able to fill the void left by the golden-boot contender.
Although our first goal was ruled an own-goal, it was a fantastic run and shot from Greek-man Savvas Siantravanis that opened the scoring. Thurgate’s goal, however, was much more methodical, as the 21-year-old calmly picked out the bottom corner in what ended up being the winner.
Their efforts in front of goal prove that although Mikeltadze is our leading man at the front, there’s still plenty of goals in us elsewhere across the park.
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
The victory against Brisbane is our second of the campaign, and our second win in front of the home fans with our previous victory coming against Wellington in Round Four.
Although the rain and wind made for a difficult atmosphere, the Jets faithful could be heard around the ground as our side dug deep to claim the win. It’s a major step up the ladder for our Jets, as they now move into ninth position with many games still to play.
This victory also marked the end of a five game winless streak against Brisbane Roar, and our first home win against the side since Round Seven in 2018. It comes at a good time for our Jets, as we prepare for a hectic February schedule, including a home game on Tuesday night against Melbourne City.
BUILDING MOMENTUM
With our updated fixtures being released for the rest of February, fans were delighted to see that after enduring a month without football, the Jets will now have six games in four weeks.
Our next fixture will see our team host the defending champions, Melbourne City, at home on Tuesday night, and our team will be looking to continue to build rhythm through the middle of season, and capitalise against City who have won one of their past five matches.
Following that, the Jets will be heading down south for two crucial matches against Melbourne Victory on the February 12 and Melbourne City again on February 18.
Our team has games in hand on the above sides, so Manager Arthur Papas and co. will know that collecting points are vital to keep in touch with the top half of the competition.
We will be confident of sending a warning shot to the rest of the competition with some strong performances whilst on the road, to continue our pursuit of a high finish.
