The Hunter Ports Newcastle Jets defeated Western Sydney Wanderers 2-1 at Parramatta Stadium on Saturday night.
The Hunter Ports Newcatsle Jets defeated Western Sydney Wanderers 2-1 at Parramatta Stadium on Saturday night.
Marquee striker Emile Heskey scored his fifth goal of the season after Ryan Griffths had put the Jets back on level terms following Joe Gibbs- opener in the 15th minute of the contest.
Gibbs put the home side ahead following some lovely build-up play on the edge of the box between Youssouf Hersi and Shinji Ono.
The Dutchman and the former Japanese international played a neat exchange of passes on the edge of the area that saw Ono put in behind the Jets defence.
The ex-Feyenoord midfielder played a square ball to Gibbs who buried the easiest of tap-ins from inside the six-yard box.
The Jets responded in the 28th minute through Ryan Griffiths. Griffiths and James Brown were involved in some slick build-up play on the edge of the area before the ball was sent wide to Scott Neville.
Neville-s pin-point cross from the right wing picked out Griffiths who had continued his run into the box before glancing a classy header into the bottom corner.
The Jets hit the front in the 38th minute when their marquee-man Emile Heskey netted his fifth goal of the season.
Craig Goodwin dinked a cross from the left wing that just eluded the head of Griffiths, but Heskey was on hand to force the ball home at the near post with his right boot.
The Wanderers were the team applying most pressure after the the half-time interval with Jets goalkeeper Mark Birighitti called on to make a pair of stunning reflex saves, firstly to deny Gibbs and later Ono.
The Jets were put under even more pressure when substitute Jacob Pepper was given his marching orders after receiving his second yellow card in the 89th minute.
However, Newcastle were steadfast in defence and showed great character to keep the Wanderers at bay with everyone including Heskey chipping in at the defensive end.
The Jets had a chance to seal the match when James Virgili broke clear on the counter-attack in stoppage time, but the 20-year-old had his shot parried away by Ante Covic.
Thankfully for the travelling Jets fans in attendance, Newcastle weren-t made to pay for the missed opportunity and hung on for a 2-1 win.
Newcastle Jets 2 (Griffiths 28-, Heskey 38-)
Western Sydney Wanderers 1 (Gibbs 15-)
Crowd 9,011 at Parramatta Stadium.
Newcastle Jets: 2. Scott Neville, 3. Tiago Calvano, 4. Josh Mitchell, 5. Dominik Ritter, 7. James Brown (18. Jacob Pepper 83-), 8. Ruben Zadkovich, 9. Emile Heskey, 15. Craig Goodwin (17. James Virgili 63-), 16. Jobe Wheelhouse (C), 20. Mark Birighitti (Gk) 23. Ryan Griffiths.
Yellow cards: Zadkovich 48-, Tiago 67-, Pepper 84-, Ritter 90-.
Red Cards: Pepper 89-
Substitutes not used: 19. Michael Bridges, 33. Matt Nash (Gk).
Western Sydney Wanderers: 1. Ante Covic (Gk), 3. Adam D-apuzzo, 4. Nikolai Topor-Stanley, 6. Jerome Polenz, 8. Mateo Poljak (2. Shannon Cole 45-), 10. Aaron Mooy, 13. Joey Gibbs (9. Dino Kresinger 63-), 17. Youssouf Hersi (12. Tahj Minniecon 74-), 18. Iacopo La Rocca, 19. Mark Bridge, 21. Shinji Ono.
Yellow cards: Poljak 27-
Substitutes not used: 20. Jerrad Tyson (Gk).
