Newcastle Jets kept their second clean sheet of the season, but couldn’t find the back of the net against Melbourne Victory in their re-scheduled Hyundai A-League 2016/17 round 19 clash on Monday night.
The Jets will feel aggrieved that they didn’t take all three points after dominating chances for the opening 70 minutes before Victory mounted a late resurgence, but neither could find a winner.
Outstanding Jet Andrew Hoole had a chance in the 15th minute, his shot from outside the eighteen-yard box was well struck but blocked by the Victory defence.
In the 34th minute the Jets went close again this through Ma Leilei, as the Chinese midfielder struck a powerful shot from outside the box which was well saved by Lawrence Thomas.
Victory almost gifted the Jets a goal in the 40th minute as Jason Hoffman whipped in a low cross from the left. Nick Ansell stuck out a boot and almost deflected it into the back of his own net.
After a tight first half, the sides headed to the sheds deadlocked
On resumption, it was the home side who came charging out of the blocks.
Hoole had another good opportunity six minutes into the half after Morten Nordstrand broke down the left edge, found Steven Ugarkovic in the middle who squared a pass to Hoole on the right. Hoole shot low towards the bottom left corner but Lawrence Thomas was able to parry the shot away as he dived to his right.
Andrew Nabbout then went close from a Hoole cross before a Nordstrand cross from the left found Hoole who flicked his shot just wide of goal from close range.
Ugarkovic surged down the middle of the ground in the 60th minute following a lovely touch from Hoole and played in Nordstrand down the right. This time the Dane pulled his shot wide to the left of the Victory goal.
Victory centre-back Ansell almost scored again for the home side when Ma crossed in from the left. The ball went through the defender’s legs, clipping his heel on the way through before almost nestling in the bottom corner.
James Troisi fired a rare Victory chance wide in the 72nd minute from outside the box and it seemed to spur his side on. Two minutes later Daniel Georgievski thundered a shot from outside the box into Jack Duncan’s left post.
Jets skipper Nigel Boogaard saved the day in the 76th minute as Besart Berisha weaved his way into and through the home side’s box. Just as the Albanian striker looked to shoot Boogaard swept out the ball from his control.
James Troisi wasted a chance from close range in the 81st minute as he blazed over the bar from the left edge on the angle.
The final ten minutes was end to end stuff with Hoole going close from long range for the Jets while the visitors thought they deserved a penalty 89th minute when Troisi went down in the area.
The draw means Newcastle move into the top six before a short turnaround to face last-placed Adelaide United on Friday night in the city of churches.
Newcastle Jets 0
Melbourne Victory 0
Venue: McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
Referee: Stephen Lucas
Attendance: 6,233
Newcastle Jets: 2. Daniel MULLEN, 3. Jason HOFFMAN, 4. Nigel BOOGAARD (C), 6. Steven UGARKOVIC, 7. Andrew HOOLE, 8. Mateo POLJAK (28. John KOUTROUMBIS 77’), 15. Andrew NABBOUT, 18. MA Leilei (10. Wayne BROWN 82’), 19. Morten NORDSTRAND (9. Aleksandr KOKKO 77’), 20. Jack DUNCAN (Gk), 22. Lachlan JACKSON
Substitutes not used: 16. Nicholas COWBURN, 50. Tomislav ARCABA (Gk)
Yellow cards: Hoffman, Kokko
Red cards: Nil
Melbourne Victory: 2. Jason GERIA, 4. Nicholas ANSELL, 5. Daniel GEORGIEVSKI, 7. Marco ROJAS, 8. Besart BERISHA, 10. James TROISI, 11. Mitchell AUSTIN (23. Jai INGHAM 60’), 13. Oliver BOZANIC (6. Leigh BROXHAM 67’), 15. Alan BARO (17. James DONACHIE 79’), 20. Lawrence THOMAS (Gk), 21. Carl VALERI
Substitutes not used: 14. Fahid BEN KHALFALLAH, 40. Matthew ACTON (Gk)
Yellow cards: Baro, Ansell
Red cards: Nil
