It’s Derby Day! Our Jets are back at home this Saturday for the F3 Derby against the Central Coast Mariners as we look to redeem ourselves after back-to-back defeats.
Our side is coming off the back of two narrow defeats at the hands of Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers and are looking to steady the ship with a strong performance that may just keep our finals dream alive.
Central Coast are looking to build their case as finals contenders and will be desperate to collect all three points as they too push for the top six.
Our side has four games remaining and a possible 12 points and are still mathematically a chance for the finals but will need results to fall in our favour.
Here’s the full breakdown of Saturday night’s clash:
NEWCASTLE JETS V CENTRAL COAST MARINERS
Date: Saturday 23rd April 2022
Kick-off: 7:45pm
Venue: McDonald Jones Stadium
How to Watch: SECURE YOUR TICKETS
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Played: 54
Jets: 18
Draws: 18
Mariners: 18
PRIDE ON THE LINE
When it comes to rivalries in the A-League, it doesn’t get much bigger than the F3 Derby.
The Jets will be hopeful of sticking a pin in our rivals’ season as they sit on the precipice of the top six.
One thing for certain is that, irrespective of how each team is playing, they will always turn up for the Derby.
This fixture has always had something special about it, and it’s reflected in the overall record of both sides, who have won and drawn the exact same number of games, and scored and conceded identical numbers also. It’s impossible to split these two sides and it’s likely to be a tight game again on Saturday.
Last time these two met, our Jets were defeated in a frustrating 2-1 matchup and we will be out to reverse that result this time around.
Over our past 10 encounters, each side has won four times with two draws making the difference up, however our side have only managed one win from our last five matchups.
RECORDS TO BE BROKEN
While finals will prove difficult for our side to achieve, this season still has several individual accolades that could be claimed.
Brazilian dynamo Daniel Penha has already broken the record for most assists in a single season as a Newcastle Jets player with 11, overcoming the record previously held by Dimitri Petratos who accrued nine.
Still on the table is also an opportunity for Beka Mikeltadze to equal or break Adam Taggart’s club record for goals in a single season. Mikeltadze currently sits four goals behind Taggart’s record of 16 with four games remaining, but our Georgian gun’s early season form is enough to indicate that if anyone is capable, its him. Additionally, Mikeltadze is also locked in a race for the Golden Boot, and currently sits two behind current leader Jamie Maclaren.
On the flip side, Central Coast are presented with a rare opportunity to break a head-to-head record against our side. In the 17-year history of the A-League, the Mariners have never won all F3 Derbies in a single season. These two sides will meet twice in our remaining four matchups which poses a highly entertaining finish to the season.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Angus Thurgate (Newcastle Jets)
Thurgate has been a mainstay in our side’s engine room for most of this season, and the difference he makes in our midfield is something that cannot be ignored.
He is currently our second top scorer in 2021/22 with five goals to his name, an impressive haul from the midfielder. Additionally, Thurgate has provided a solid platform for his attackers to work off, and is third at our club for successful passes per match with an average of 43.
The 22-year-old was one of our better players against Western Sydney on Wednesday night, completing 89% of his passes, as well as winning over half of his duels with opposition players.
Thurgate has been the axel of our midfield this season, and his involvement will be crucial heading into a lively clash with our noisy neighbours.
Jason Cummings (Central Coast Mariners)
The hardworking striker has been a huge part of the Mariners run towards the finals and he’ll look to continue his good form on Saturday night.
Cummings is the Mariners’ equal leading goal scorer with seven goals from 16 appearances, and is their equal-top provider with five assists to his name so far this season.
The 26-year-old has proven a handful for almost every team in the league this season, and he is currently on a hot streak having scored four goals in his previous five matches.
The Scottish-Australian striker didn’t feature for the Mariners earlier this season, and he’ll be looking to open his F3 Derby account against our side on Saturday night, and we’ll need to be at our best to contain his dogged workload.
STATS & FACTS
These two sides have a head-to-head record that is completely identical – even down to goal differential.
Jason Hoffman and Matt Simon are the only players still active in the A-League from our side’s 1-nil victory over the Mariners in the 2007/08 Grand Final, with the latter currently the highest goal scorer in the history of the Derby.
Jordan Elsey boasts an impressive record against the Mariners – across his 12 meetings with the Central Coast, the 28-year-old defender has only lost three times and has a win rate of 66% against the Mariners.
These two sides are tough to split with each possessing an average of 1.8 goals scored per match, while the Mariners narrowly edge us for total goals this season with 40 to our 39.
