For the second time in three weeks, our Liberty A-League Jets will face off with league newcomers, Wellington Phoenix, looking to re-enter the winners’ circle following a disappointing draw.
Last weekend the Jets conceded a stoppage time equaliser to the Wanderers despite controlling large portions of the game and experiencing multiple goal scoring opportunities.
They will be conscious of a determined Wellington side this weekend who are coming off the back of a 3-nil loss to Sydney, are still searching for their first win as a Club.
The Phoenix have showed promising signs in each of their games, and will be looking to put that into a more complete performance when they meet the Jets on the Central Coast.
WELLINGTON PHOENIX V NEWCASTLE JETS
Date: Monday 27 December 2021
Kick-off: 6:45pm
Venue: Central Coast Stadium
How to Watch: Paramount+
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Played: 1
Jets: 1
Draws: 0
Phoenix: 0
SEE YA IN TWO WEEKS
It’s not often you play a team for a second so soon after the first, but the fact that these two squads will be so familiar with one another only adds another interesting element.
Wellington struggled last time out when they met with the Jets, going down by four goals, but competed in sections of that game and scored their Club’s first ever Liberty A-League goal late on.
While our women managed to find the back of the net on five occasions in that Round Two fixture, the Phoenix defence will be much more aware of our team’s attacking forces meaning our team will need to step it up another level, particularly after a challenging week in front of goal last weekend.
Despite a multitude of chances in our game against the Wanderers, the only goal to talk about was Tiana Jaber’s long-range rocket that opened the scoring in the first half.
If the Jets are to walk away with three points this Monday, they’ll need to make sure they showcase the same ruthlessness they did the last time they met Wellington.
KEEPING UP WITH THE TOP FOUR
Since the league’s inception back in 2008, the Jets have only qualified for the finals on two occasions – a stat that this year’s group are looking to adjust.
With 14 games in this year’s season, this week’s match will mark a quarter-way through the season and our squad will be mindful of making sure they stay within touching distance of the top four sides.
Sydney and Melbourne Victory have both proven to be top contenders once again while Perth and Melbourne City are also two sides pushing for leading spots, forcing the Jets to make sure that points continue to flow if they are a chance of finals this year.
The Jets next three opponents are Victory, City and Perth, making a win in this match all the more vital.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Lucy Johnson (Newcastle Jets)
Playing in a midfield alongside Emily van Egmond and Cass Davis, a young newcomer like Lucy Johnson could easily become overshadowed but instead the Tasmanian has stepped up and proven herself to be more than capable of playing at this level.
This season is Johnson’s first as a A-League Women’s player and she’s already been able to conjure up attacking plays for her frontwomen which included a lovely chipped pass that lead to a goal last time out against the Phoenix.
She was a handful for the Wellington midfield to contain back in Round Two, and if she can provide that level of play once again, it’ll help greatly in possibly attaining a win.
Ava Pritchard (Wellington Phoenix)
The one and only goal scorer in the history of this new team has showed she’s ready for this level despite only being 18.
Pitchard has started each of the Phoenix’s match so far and has provided a dynamism to her team in that attacking, wide forward role.
She’s a woman who’s been part of Future Ferns’ programs and been at the top of her development teams coming through the ranks, and will once again be someone our defenders will have to exclude from the match.
STATS & FACTS
Currently our Jets sit as one of the best attacking teams with seven goals to our name. Only Victory and Sydney sit higher, while Wellington still just have the one goal over their three matches.
Defensively things look much more similar as the Jets have conceded five goals in comparison to Wellington’s eight and as a result, both are in the lower half of defensive records.
Adding onto that, both sides also feature as equal bottom in tackles won, with both sitting at 28 which is equal to Sydney and Western Sydney too.
