The Newcastle Jets have played out a draw 1-1 with Adelaide United at Hindmarsh Stadium on Friday night.
The Hunter Ports Newcastle Jets have played out a draw 1-1 with Adelaide United at Hindmarsh Stadium on Friday night.
With their season on the line, the Jets entered Friday-s match knowing nothing less than three points was required and they started the fixture in such a fashion, going on the attack from the opening whistle.
Following a Jets corner inside the first 30 seconds of play, the ball looped out to Ruben Zadkovich at the top of the box.
Zadkovich hit a first-time volley that dipped viciously, forcing Reds goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic to make a sharp reflex save and parry the ball around the post.
The Jets looked to have taken the lead from the ensuing corner when Connor Chapman buried an open header from inside the six-yard box.
However, referee Lucien Lavedue controversially disallowed the goal after ruling Adam Taggart had fouled Galekovic in the lead-up.
The Jets had the ball in the back of the net again on the 10 minute mark, after Taggart chased down Dominik Ritter-s ball over the top and neatly chipped the on-rushing Galekovic.
Unfortunately for the Jets, they were once again brought undone by the officials, with the linesman incorrectly adjudging Taggart to have started his run from an offside position.
After dominating the play in the early stages, the Jets almost found themselves behind on the scoreboard in the 19th minute.
Dario Vidosic was played in behind the Jets defence, before hooking the ball over Ritter-s head and unleashing a powerful volley that brought a top-notch reflex save from Jets shot-stopper Mark Birighitti.
The Jets responded well after the scare, and should have taken the lead in the 23rd minute through Dominik Ritter.
The ball dropped kindly to the Swiss import following a Jets corner, but his initial effort was desperately cleared off the line-up, before his follow-up attempt from point blank range took the slightest deflection onto the crossbar.
Just when it seemed certain the Jets were destined for a repeat of the bad luck in front of goal they experienced against Perth, they were gifted a golden opportunity to hit the front in the 43rd minute.
Galekovic was pinned for handling a throw-in and the Jets were awarded an indirect free-kick alongside the penalty spot.
Craig Goodwin stepped up looking to breach the 11-man wall the Reds had assembled and after a slight touch from Mark Jesic fired a powerful low drive in towards the bottom corner.
Waiting in the goal mouth, Michael Bridges got a foot to the ball, deflecting it past Galekovic and over the goal line to give the Jets a 1-0 lead.
Adelaide hit-back four minutes after the half-time interval through Argentine Marcelo Carrusca.
Carrusca picked the ball up in midfield following a Jets turnover and carried it forward to the edge of Newcastle-s penalty area. With the Jets defence standing off him, Carrusca had time to place his shot into the bottom corner and level the scores.
Boyed by their equalizer, the Reds had a couple of chances to take the lead when first Iain Ramsay forced Birighitti to make a good save at his near post, before substitute Jeronimo headed Carussca-s cross onto the crossbar.
The Jets had a big shout for a penalty turned down in the 76th minute when replacement Andrew Hoole appearing to be bundled over in the box by Jon McKain.
The Jets surged forward in search of all three points, but it was Adelaide who looked to have scored the winner in stoppage time when Vidosic found the back of the net, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside.
Neither side was able to find the breakthrough before the final whistle sounded and the match finished in a 1-1 stalemate.
Newcastle Jets 1 (Bridges 43-)
Adelaide United 1 (Carrusca 49-)
Newcastle Jets line-up: 3. Zenon Caravella, 5. Dominik Ritter, 7. James Brown (26. Andrew Hoole 65-), 8. Ruben Zadkovich, 11. Connor Chapman, 12. Josh Brillante, 15. Craig Goodwin (17. James Virgili 88-), 19. Michael Bridges (2. Scott Neville 90-), 20. Mark Birighitti (gk), 21. Marko Jesic, 22. Adam Taggart.
Substitutes not used: 30. Jack Duncan (gk)
Adelaide United line-up: 1. Eugene Galekovic (gk) (c), 3. Nigel Boogaard, 4. Jon McKain, 5. Iain Fyfe, 6. Cassio, 8. Marcelo Carrusca (18. Fabian Barbiero 75-), 10. Dario Vidosic, 14. Cameron Watson, 17. Iain Ramsay (22. Fabio Ferreira 70-), 19. Jake Barker-Daish, 25. Tomi Juric (21. Jeronimo Neumann 61-).
Substitutes not used: 20. Paul Izzo (gk).
