Clayton Zane says playing Saturday’s NYL match as a curtain raiser for the A-League F3 Derby will lift the intensity of the fixture.
Hunter Ports Newcastle Jets youth team coach Clayton Zane believes that playing Saturday-s National Youth League match as a curtain raiser for the A-League F3 Derby will lift the intensity of the fixture.
Just like the first team, the Jets youth will take on local rivals Central Coast Mariners on Saturday and Zane said both youth teams would be spurred on by playing at Hunter Stadium prior to the main game.
“Being a derby and playing in front of a bigger crowd before the first team game, it should set the stage for a good encounter,” he said.
“I didn-t notice a lot of edge the first time we played the Mariners, but I think now there will be a crowd building up towards the latter stages of the game, and that will probably add a bit of spice to it.
“For the younger ones it will be a good experience, but for the first team players in the youth squad, I think it will be important as well.
“They will get a taste for the match conditions they-ll encounter if they do get themselves back into the frame with the first eleven.”
Just like their A-League counterparts, the young Mariners are sitting in first place on the competition ladder.
Newcastle were defeated 2-1 when the two sides met in the opening round of the season, but Zane said the Jets were determined to turn that result around.
“We were a little bit unlucky in the first game when we played them,” he said.
“They beat us 2-1, but it was a game of two halves. We went 2-nil down, but had a really strong finish to the game.
“I think to perform against them, you need to have two good halves of football so we-ll try and rectify that this weekend.”
The Jets were undefeated for four matches after their opening-round loss, but have suffered two defeats in their last two matches against Melbourne Heart and Melbourne Victory.
Zane said the Jets are focused on returning to winning ways this weekend.
“We-ll wait and see what personnel we get back from the first team,” he said.
“The Melbourne Heart game wasn-t so good, but the reaction the following week against the Victory was really good.
“Even though we didn-t get a result, it was probably one of our better performances.”
Zane said he had been pleased with the progress his side had made so far this season.
“My job is about trying to get one or two members of the youth squad through to the first team and I can see players like Andrew Hoole and Kale Bradbery starting to rise to the challenge,” he said.
It is a double-header at Hunter Stadium this Saturday night. The Jets Youth team play the Central Coast Mariners Youth team prior to the A-League F3 Derby clash at 7.45pm.
Newcastle Jets v Central Coast Mariners
Saturday, December 8
Gates open: 4.50pm
National Youth League kick-off: 5pm
A-League kick-off: 7.45pm
Venue: Hunter Stadium
Tickets from PROticket
Limited parking will be available for purchase at the car park entrances on game days for the remainder of the Jets 2012/13 season. Whilst there will be parking available for purchase, Hunter Venues does encourage patrons to pre-purchase their parking tickets at a PROticket outlet or online at www.proticket.com.au as parking is subject to availability.
