The Newcastle Jets Youth team has suffered a setback being beaten 3-1 by the Central Coast Mariners at Pluim Park on Tuesday night.
The Newcastle Jets Youth team has suffered a setback being beaten 3-1 in an
F3 derby by the Central Coast Mariners in their National Youth League
fixture at Pluim Park on Tuesday night.
The Jets went into the match as favourites looking to move into the top
three on the NYL ladder, but the Mariners upstaged their arch rivals with a
devastating first half that saw them hold a match-winning 3-0 lead at the
break.
The Jets finally settled into some rhythm in the second half but could only
pull one goal back five minutes before full-time via dynamic forward Fabian
Iacovelli.
The loss leaves the Jets in sixth place on the NYL ladder on 17 points but
just one point out of the top four while the Mariners move up to seventh.
The match started in warm evening conditions and the home side got the
perfect start with a goal in just the third minute of play. Striker Mitchell
Duke met a cross from the right with a powerful header for an early 1-0.
The Jets went close to equalising twice in the next 10 minutes. The first
chance fell to James Virgili who was denied by a fine reflex save from
Mariners keeper Nikodin Matic, before the Central Coast custodian again
produced the goods to parry away a slick shot from Chinese import Zhang
Shou.
The home side doubled their advantage in the 20th minute via rising star
Mustafa Amini. The youn attacking midfielder showed all his class to control
a difficult ball in the middle of the park before advancing on goal and
unleashing a cracking volley that gave Newcastle goalkeeper Robbie Kolak no
chance.
The Mariners made it 3-0 just five minutes later when the league-s leading
goal scorer striker Bernie Ibini-Isei slotted a cross from Duke into the
corner of the net for his 10th goal of the season.
Amini went close to getting his second on the half-hour mark when he curled
a ball towards the far post but Kolak was able to produce a fine diving save
to keep the score 3-0 at the break.
The Jets regrouped after break, controlling possession and looking good in
the midfield but the Mariners were able to protect their lead stacking the
defence and holding the visitors at bay.
Newcastle eventually pegged one back in the 85th minute when Iacovelli was
on hand to poke in a long-range Virgili effort hat had come off the
crossbar.
Central Coast 3
Mitchell Duke 3′ Mustafa Amini 20, Bernie Ibini-Isei 25′
Newcastle 1
Fabian Iacovelli 85′
