The Newcastle Jets have been defeated 2-1 by the Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday night at Campbelltown Stadium.
The Newcastle Jets have been defeated 2-1 by the Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday night at Campbelltown Stadium.
Goals to Youssouf Hersi – his third in two games – and a wonderful solo effort from Mark Bridge separated the teams before Newcastle skipper Ruben Zadkovich pulled one back late before a crowd of over 10,000.
Newcastle’s Emile Heskey had the best of the early chances, his effort from near the penalty spot squirming over the crossbar after Nikolai Topor-Stanley’s intervention in the 19th minute.
Hersi was proving his usual lively self at the other end and carved out an opportunity deep in the half.
Receiving the ball wide on the right from Jerome Polenz, Hersi took off before cutting the ball back to Shinji Ono.
Ono immediately switched the ball to an unmarked Bridge inside the box but his goal-bound shot was deflected wide by a brilliant left-foot save from Jets keeper Mark Birighitti.
But a minute into time added on, Hersi made it count.
Ono’s free-kick fell to the Dutchman inside the box and he stabbed a sharp shot that Birighitti could only block, the ball freewheeling in the air and spinning back inside the right post.
Hersi left to a standing ovation in the 78th minute and five minutes later was on his feet applauding Bridge’s super goal.
The striker took the ball just over the halfway mark, turning defender Josh Mitchell inside out before unleashing a thundering right-foot drive into the top left of the net.
Zadkovich scored early in injury time but with time not on the Jets’ side, the Wanderers took all three points.
The Jets return home next week to host Melbourne Heart on Friday night at Hunter Stadium.
Western Sydney Wanderers 2 (Hersi 46, Bridge 83)
Newcastle 1 (Zadkovich 90+1)
Crowd: 10,589 @ Campbelltown Stadium
