A youthful Newcastle Jets outfit has run out deserved 2-1 victors over Perth Glory at EnergyAustralia Stadium tonight in the team’s final home game of the Hyundai A-League 2008/09 season.
A youthful Newcastle Jets outfit has run out deserved 2-1 victors over Perth Glory at EnergyAustralia Stadium tonight in the team-s final home game of the Hyundai A-League 2008/09 season.
Goals from the Jets- two centre backs, Antun Kovacic and Mark Milligan, in the 41st and 55th minutes respectively won the day for the home side, rendering Scott Bulloch-s 65th minute strike for the Glory a mere consolation.
Head coach Gary van Egmond-s message to his players seemed clear as they went on the attack from the outset.
In just the fourth minute, captain Matt Thompson saw his goal-bound effort parried away for a corner by Glory custodian Tando Velaphi, while later, Jobe Wheelhouse went inches wide having played a neat one-two to work his way into the box.
Dominating possession, the Jets took a justifiable lead four minutes before the halftime interval.
Kaz Patafta-s accurate in-swinging corner found Kovacic, whose powerful diving header gave Velaphi no chance from six-yards out.
The Jets carried the momentum gained from Kovacic-s opener out with them in the second half, doubling their lead ten minutes into the second stanza.
Following classy lead up work from teenage front man Brodie Mooy, a rampaging Thompson was felled in the box by David Tarka.
Refereeing his first Hyundai A-League clash, Kris Griffiths-Jones duly pointed to the spot, with Milligan slamming home the resultant penalty to put the Jets two up and well in control of proceedings.
The nerves of players, coaching staff and fans alike were jangled ten minutes later when Bulloch tapped in following nice lead up work from Dutchman Victor Sikora, however the Jets weathered what proved to be only a small Glory fight back, gaining the ascendancy again before fulltime.
Van Egmond was pleased with the win and praised his young side-s performance after the victory.
“It-s nice not only for the club as a whole, and the boys especially, but for the supporters. Early on in the week the boys really wanted to dedicate the game to the supporters,” van Egmond said of the team-s final home game of the season.
“I think the boys that have come in, especially the younger ones, some are definitely not ready right at this moment and we-ve used them out of necessity, but to their credit they have done extremely well. I think they were excellent today,” he added.
Match Details:
Newcastle Jets: 1. Ante COVIC (gk), 7. Kaz PATAFTA, 8. Matt THOMPSON (c) (28. Jarrad ROSS 77-), 10. Jin-Hyung SONG, 11. Tarek ELRICH, 12. Jobe WHEELHOUSE, 13. Adam D-APUZZO, 16. Ben KANTAROVSKI, 17. Antun KOVACIC, 26. Mark MILLIGAN, 32. Brodie MOOY (27. Jesse PINTO 86-)
Unused substitutes: 30. Justin PASFIELD (gk), 33. Taylor REGAN
Yellow cards: Jobe Wheelhouse 59-
Red cards: Nil
Perth Glory: 30.Tando VELAPHI (gk), 3.David TARKA, 4.Jamie COYNE (c) (28.Andrija JUKIC 65-), 5.Jamie HARNWELL, 7.Nick RIZZO (2.Nikolai TOPOR-STANLEY 76-), 11.Scott BULLOCH (15.Hayden DOYLE 86-), 16.Adriano PELLEGRINO, 19.Naum SEKULOVSKI, 22.Wayne SRHOJ, 29.Victor SIKORA, 31.Scott NEVILLE
Unused substitutes: 1.Jason PETKOVIC (gk)
Yellow cards: David Tarka 53-
Red cards: Nil
Newcastle Jets: 2 (Kovacic 41-, Milligan 55-(pen))
Perth Glory: 1 (Bulloch 65-)
Crowd: 6665
Referee: Kris Griffiths-Jones
