Gary van Egmond believes the Jets were punished for lapses of concentration in their 2-0 loss the Mariners on Saturday.
Hunter Ports Newcastle Jets head coach Gary van Egmond believes the Jets were punished for lapses of concentration in their 2-0 loss the Central Coast Mariners at Hunter Stadium on Saturday.
Two second half goals to Daniel McBreen secured the three points for the Mariners, but van Egmond said the defensive marking for both goals could have been better.
“There were a couple of lapses in concentration,” he said.
“The goal from the corner was terrible. You could drive a truck through that area in the centre there.
“It-s just about switching on, concentrating and knowing what your job is and making sure you do your task. Unfortunately that didn-t happen at that time.”
Van Egmond was not surprised by the challenge posed by first-placed Mariners, but believed the Jets had their chances to take something out of the match.
“Even though we beat them the first time we played them, I still felt they were the best team we-d played, so we knew we were in for a tough game,” van Egmond said.
“In regards to the game as a whole, when the game was in the balance I think the Mariners were more of the team that controlled the game.
“We tried to look to manufacture some chances on the counter and what have you, but we were still well and truly in the game.
“Our boys really tried their heart out and they really worked hard for the shirt.
“Again, it is just decision making that changes the dynamics of you looking to create an opportunity or to finish a chance.
“That-s where a number of times we just got in the wrong position or took the wrong decision. That just comes down to a lack of experience for some of these players.”
The Jets were without a number of key players due to injuries and suspension against the Mariners, but van Egmond refused to use that as an excuse for the defeat.
“We were very positive before the game and the players were very positive,” he said.
“It-s a case of giving players an opportunity when other players are out and there were a number of players who were well and truly up for it.
“Overall they were good. They-ll gain a lot from the experience that they had tonight, especially against a team like the Mariners.
“There are some inconsistencies, but the only way to know whether they-re going to become good enough is to play them.
“It was good to see they had a real go, but it just didn-t work out the way we wanted.”
The Jets now face a short turnaround before a tough trip to play Perth Glory at nib Stadium on Friday night.
“Right at this moment the confidence of the players is probably pretty well down, but there are some real positives from the game as well which we-ll obviously see from the video,” van Egmond said.
“We have to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off.
“We welcome back some troops for the trip to Perth and the last game against Perth was very positive as well so we have to look forward to the next game.
“You have to ensure that you stick together and that-s the most important part.”
