The Newcastle Jets overcame Heidelberg United 3-1 in extra time to win the Australia Cup for the first time in the clubs history!
Heidelberg would come out firing early on in the game, testing Delianov several times inside the opening seven minutes. Unfortunately for the Jets, Heidelberg would open the scoring in the 8th minute through Lethlean. A ball would be headed across the box, falling to Lethlean who nodded into the bottom corner. 1-0 to Heidelberg
Conceding the goal would wake the team up, as they managed to get on the front foot and create several chances. The breakthrough would finally come in the 21st minute through Max Burgess. Will Dobson would slide through Thomas Aquilina. Aquilina would take a touch before cutting the ball back across to the on-rushing Burgess. Max would strike the ball at the first attempt, with the ball taking a slight deflection before nestling into the back of the net.
Just five minutes later, Wilmering would almost score directly from the corner. The Jets crowded several bodies inside the 6 yard box, with Wilmering swinging in the corner aimed at the back post, however Sözer was able to come and punch the ball to safety.
In the 42nd minute, Will Dobson would come close to scoring the go-ahead goal. Max Burgess would find the ball inside space close to the by-line. He would fire the ball back to the edge of the box, where Will Dobson was waiting. He fired towards goal, but would narrowly miss the target, with the ball drifting slightly wide of the post.
Right on the stroke of halftime, Šušnjar was able to win a header off of a Mizunuma corner, with the ball narrowly missing the target. The whistle would soon go, with the score locked at 1-1 in what was a tightly contested half.
Five minutes after the break, Wilmering would swing in a low cross across the box. Rose threw himself at the ball but was unable to get any contact on the ball, as it rolled agonisingly past his boot.
At the 74th minute, Xavier Bertoncello would come extremely close to scoring. Having been playing in behind by Wilmering, he would attempt to cut the ball back, only for it to be blocked. However, the loose ball would sit nicely for Bertoncello, as he fired a powerful, swerving effort which would whisk past the post and out for a goal kick.
Straight after, Heidelberg would have a chance of their own. Yokokawa would find himself through on goal, with just Delianov standing in his way. He would attempt to chip him, only for his shot to go horribly wide of the post, spurning one of the best chances of the game.
The full time whistle came, and as the scores remained deadlocked at 1-1, the game would go on to extra time.
Oscar Fryer, who had been introduced off of the bench during regulation time, made his moment count. The youngster would receive the ball out wide, before turning Fulton and driving inside the box. He would find a pocked of space and unleash a bending effort that flew into the top corner, ensue pandemonium from the lively Jets fans at the venue.
Alex Nunes had a brilliant chance to score. Lucas Scicluna would cut inside below sending Nunes through on goal. Nunes would control the ball, before rolling it past Sözer, but just narrowly missing the target.
22 minutes into injury time, Kosta Grozos would be shown a second yellow card, and was subsequently sent off. Almost straight after the restart, Anthony Apostolopoulos would be shown a straight red card for a last-man challenge.
Nunes would continue to threat, this time getting an assist as he found Ben Gibson in the box. Gibson would take the ball in his stride before lifting it over Sözer and into the net.
That goal would seal the result, as well as the 3-1 win. The Australia cup trophy is just the second in the clubs history, coming 17 years after the last, the 2008 A-League Grand Final win. The win also qualifies the club for the ACL 2 competition.
