Consecutive wins have helped propel the Jets up the ladder, and Thursday now presents the chance for Newcastle to go three in a row.
The mid-week match will see McDonald Jones Stadium welcome Brisbane Roar, which has so far been a happy hunting W-League ground this season.
SQUAD: The 17 available for Thursday
Last weekend was another tight win, 1-0 over Western Sydney Wanderers backed up the previous week’s win over Canberra by the same margin.
Jenna Kingsley nabbed her first goal of the season last weekend, while Katie Stengel once again showed her ability to lay on the goals with ANOTHER assist.
This weekend could see the first appearance this season of Arin Wright (nee Gilliland), who has signed with the Club throughout the week.
Our opponents, Brisbane Roar come into this match off the back of a bye last weekend.
Before that, they’ve enjoyed a mixed bag of results: a win, a draw, and a loss.
Team news
Tara Andrews remains out of the squad, with her ankle injury meaning she’s still some way off from returning to the side.
Australia international Larissa Crummer is in line to return, having battled hard to overcome a quad injury which has kept her out of contention for the past two weeks.
Some big news is the inclusion of Arin Wright, whose signing was only announced on Tuesday. Having reported to training fit, Gilly is in line to see game time.
It could mean a reshuffle of the backline which has kept two consecutive clean sheets. She could slot in at right-back for Taylor Smith, who may be deployed further afield in a more attacking role.
Or, as Craig Deans has signalled is more possible, it could be Wright who is moved further afield. He’s indicated his new signing could be in line to start as an attacking midfielder, which would mean a reshuffle in the final third.
From the coach
“We had a few things happen here, Tara Andrews was injured, and we needed a player. Gilly [Arin Wright] had had three months away from football and was missing it, I think. The opportunity came up, and I’ve been in contact with her since she left at the end of last season.
“Thankfully, the Club made the money to make it happen and she’s here. Everyone knows her, her personality, she loved being here… it’s pretty snowy in Chicago at the moment, so I think Newcastle was a good option.
“We’ve had Jenna Kingsley playing as a number 10 the past couple of games and she’s done a really good job, with her running power and work ethic. She scored on the weekend, but she’s probably a little more comfortable further forward.
“The beauty of the players we have in the front third is that they’re all very adaptable to different positions. They have the licence and the flexibility to play wherever they think is the best place to play.
“I haven’t read anyone that’s said we’re a finals contender, we talk about that ourselves but generally from the outside, the perception is that… we’re not given the same respect as other clubs.
“That’s something that we’re used to, and something that we want to change. Making the finals one year doesn’t mean we’ll make them again this year, but the W-League finals are very simple. You only need to win two games.”
