Gary van Egmond says the players should be proud of their efforts and victory in this week’s column.
There is no better way to return to Newcastle than with a drought breaking victory, and our game against Brisbane has done just that. Having defeated last year-s champions one-nil, we have finally put all our away game fears to rest.
We knew that it was going to be a tough task, travelling up to the sunshine state after coming off the back of a draw to Adelaide United in Bathurst just three days prior. We gained a little confidence after the regional match and we used that to pull us through.
On the field against Brisbane the boys were displaying smarter football, we knew we had to play a different style against the Roar and we didn-t control the game as much as we had in previous rounds, but we stole the victory and that-s what we wanted.
Unfortunately it was not the best performance the Jets have put in, nor was it their most impressive match, but they created a very solid defensive line and made it nearly impossible for Brisbane to break through and in the end that was our advantage.
The boys were very disciplined on the field – they should be extremely proud of their efforts and victory.
I think the team has been working towards this win for the last few rounds now -building and improving on their skill set and intensity on the field. In previous matches, especially against Perth, it was clear in patches how well these boys can play.
This weekend we meet Sydney FC and we won-t let them control the match. We cannot afford to slip up or lose concentration. Sydney is a very experienced and capable team; it would be a shame if we lose sight of that.
Our focus again will be on building a strong defensive line and breakdown their attacking third. With our captain Jobe Wheelhouse and English favourite Francis Jeffers back, the boys will look to them for guidance and confidence.
It has been wonderful developing some of the younger players over the last few weeks who have been given the opportunity due to injury and suspension but it is nice to have a full team running together again.
Hopefully we will be returning home with another three points to add to the ladder board and one step closer to making finals football.
Gary
