New signing Jeronimo scored four goals on his Newcastle Jets debut as the Jets defeated Weston Bears FC 8-1 in a pre-season trial match at Rockwell Automation Park on Wednesday night.
The Jets began the contest in a 4-4-2 formation. Ben Kennedy started in goals behind a back four of Jacob Pepper, Kew Jaliens, Adrian Madaschi and Craig Goodwin.
Ben Kantarovski played at the base of a diamond midfield, with James Virgili and Jonny Steele on the wings and David Carney playing in behind a strike pairing of Jeronimo and Joel Griffiths.
Jeronimo and Griffiths almost combined for the opening goal in the 11th minute, with the Argentine playing a clever ball through for his strike-partner, only for the Jets’ all-time leading goal-scorer to hit his shot over the crossbar.
Despite the Jets controlling the majority of the play early on, it was Weston who took the lead in the 15th minute after Connor Evans pounced on a wayward pass at the back from Kantarovski and calmly slotted the ball past Kennedy to make it 1-0.
The Jets responded seven minutes later, with Virgili swinging in a delightful cross from the right flank that was met by Griffiths, who directed a powerful header into the back of the net.
Virgili almost extended the Jets’ lead a short time later, firstly forcing a good reaction save from the Weston goalkeeper, before firing a shot across the face of goal less than a minute later.
The Jets made it 2-1 in the 35th minute when Weston failed to clear their lines from a corner and Kew Jaliens was on hand to stab the ball home from close range.
Jeronimo looked to increase the Jets’ advantage in the closing stages of the half, firing a powerful shot on the turn from 25 metres out that forced the Weston goalkeeper into action once again.
The Jets started the second half in much the same way as the finished the first, with Jeronimo once again in the thick of the action.
The former Adelaide United attacker hit the woodwork with glancing header, before reacting quickest to the rebound and blasting the ball into the back of the net with his right boot to make it 3-1 after 54 minutes.
Jeronmio completed his brace two minutes later, following some neat build-up play from the Jets.
Virgili carried the ball into the box before laying it off for Steele with a clever backheel. Steele then calmly slid the ball across the face of goal to the Argentine, who made no mistake with the finish to make it 4-1 in favour of Newcastle
The Jets increased their lead to 5-1 on the hour mark following an own goal from Weston defender Shane Farmer.
Jeronimo completed his hat-trick in the 70th minute with a stooping header that rebounded in off the post following a Nick Ward cross to make it 6-1.
Not satisfied with only three goal, the newest addition to the Jets’ squad scored his fourth of the match from the penalty spot in the 77th minute
Ward put the finishing touch on a comprehensive Jets 8-1 victory for the Jets when he finished into an open goal after Steele’s attempt to chip the Weston goalkeeper in the final minute was parried into his path with the goal at his mercy.
Newcastle Jets 8 (Griffiths 22′, Jaliens 35′, Jeronimo 54′, 56′ 70′ 77′, Farmer (OG) 60′, Ward 90′)
Weston Bears FC 1 (Evans 11′)
