Newcastle Jets fell 4-0 to Melbourne City on Saturday evening, missing a great chance to pile pressure on Western Sydney Wanderers and Wellington Phoenix in the race for a place in the Hyundai A-League’s top six.
Tim Cahill’s first half header combined with Nick Fitzgerald’s 65th minute strike and a brace to Uruguayan gun Bruno Fornaroli in the final quarter of the game settled the outcome comfortably for the hosts at AAMI Park.
Jets had a great opportunity to take the lead early in the contest however Andrew Nabbout pushed an effort wide of the mark following a great pass from Steven Ugarkovic.
After City scored in the 12th minute the Jets unfortunately rarely threatened Thomas Sorensen between the home team’s sticks, though the balance of play did ebb and flow through the first half.
Newcastle started the second stanza brightly, but once substitute Fitzgerald found the back of the net with 25 minutes to play Melbourne emerged as convincing victors.
Fornaroli converted from the spot in the 75th minute after Daniel Mullen had brought down Bruce Kamau, before the former Danubio marksman rounded out the scoring with nine minutes of regulation time to play.
Newcastle Jets will play their next match in the Hyundai A-League away to Wellington Phoenix on Sunday 26 March 2016.
That game will be followed by a home clash against Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday 1 April.
With just four regular season matches to play, it is now critically important that the Jets gain results from their next two fixtures if they are to keep alive their hopes of playing Finals football this season.
Melbourne City 4 (Cahill 12’, Fitzgerald 65’, Fornaroli 75’ (pen), 81’)
Newcastle Jets 0
Venue: AAMI Park, Melbourne
Referee: Chris Beath
Newcastle Jets: 2. Daniel MULLEN, 4. Nigel BOOGAARD (C), 5. Ben KANTAROVSKI (18. MA Leilei 73’), 6. Steven UGARKOVIC (8. Mateo POLJAK 85’), 7. Andrew HOOLE, 9. Aleksandr KOKKO (19. Morten NORDSTRAND 46’), 10. Wayne BROWN, 15. Andrew NABBOUT, 20. Jack DUNCAN (Gk), 22. Lachlan JACKSON, 28. John KOUTROUMBIS
Substitutes not used: 13. Ivan VUJICA, Pierce CLARK (Gk)
Yellow cards: Boogaard, Brown
Red cards: Nil
Melbourne City: 1. Thomas SORENSEN (Gk), 3. Joshua ROSE, 5. Ivan FRANJIC, 6. Osama MALIK, 8. Neil KILKENNY, 9. Nicolas COLAZO (11. Bruce KAMAU 73’), 10. Anthony CACERES, 17. Tim CAHILL (12. Nicholas FITZGERALD 57’), 21. Ruon TONGYIK, 23. Bruno FORNAROLI, 26. Luke BRATTAN (18. Paulo RETRE 87’)
Substitutes not used: 2. Manny MUSCAT, 40. Yaren SOZER (Gk)
Yellow cards: Tongyik, Brattan
Red cards: Nil
