Newcastle Jets produced a solid away performance to emerge with a 2-1 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers in Parramatta on Saturday.
THE SUMMARY:
First half goals from foreign duo Enver Alivodić and Lee Ki-je ensured Newcastle Jets defeated Western Sydney Wanderers 2-1 on their home turf on Saturday.
Alivodić netted his first goal for the Club in the 22nd minute before Lee doubled Phil Stubbins’ side’s advantage moments before half time.
The Jets should have had a third goal awarded to them in the first 45 when the Club’s other foreigner on the pitch, Ecuadorian attacker Edson Montaño, tapped home from close range in the 32nd minute. But unfortunately for Montaño, he was incorrectly ruled offside after superb work down the left flank by flying attacker Andrew Hoole.
Western Sydney Wanderers got themselves back in the game six minutes after the interval when former Melbourne City man Nick Kalmar produced a stunning free kick to beat Jets custodian Ben Kennedy.
But the determined Newcastle outfit managed to repel everything else Tony Popovic’s team could throw at them on the day – and even hit the woodwork in the second stanza themselves – to record a deserved win.
A small yet passionate knot of travelling support were rewarded for their efforts in venturing to Parramatta’s Pirtek Stadium – the players celebrating with the faithful after referee Strebre Delovski called time on an entertaining and dramatic game in Sydney’s west.
THE SCOREBOARD:
Western Sydney Wanderers FC 1 (Kalmar 51’)
Newcastle Jets 2 (Alivodić 22’, Lee 44’)
Venue: Pirtek Stadium, Parramatta
Referee: Strebre Delovski
Attendance: 10,109
THE GOALS:
22’ > 1-0 Jets. Serbian midfielder Enver Alivodić showed brilliant composure mid-way through the first half in Parramatta to give Newcastle Jets the lead. After a crafty pass from Edson Montaño, Alivodić skipped around onrushing Western Sydney Wanderers goalkeeper Ante Covic before calmly picking his spot and guiding a firm finish into the back of the net.
44’ > 2-0 Jets. South Korean left-back Lee Ki-je clearly loves playing against Western Sydney Wanderers – he scored his second goal in two games against the red-and-blacks in the match. Lee’s goal came after Mitch Cooper switched play with a great pass to Andrew Hoole. The talented Hoole waited for the overlapping run of Lee, and then fed it into his path. With options in the box, many would have thought that former J-League player Lee would cut the ball back. But the crafty Korean surprised most in the Stadium by lashing a lethal left foot strike on an acute angle past Ante Covic to send the Jets further ahead.
51’ > 2-1 Jets. Nick Kalmar has a history of producing from set piece opportunities, and he added another fine goal to his free-kick highlights reel on Saturday. From 25-yards out Kalmar bent a crisp right foot effort direct from the dead ball over the wall and beyond Ben Kennedy to put Wanderers right back in the game. Nevertheless, Kalmar’s goal six minutes after the interval was to be the only time that Kennedy’s goal would be fairly breached in Hyundai A-League round 22.
THE REACTION:
Phil Stubbins on the result: “I am pleased for the group. They have put in a fantastic workload over the course of the last week. Everyone keeps mentioning the five games prior to Melbourne City, and obviously now we’ve got the win, so if you look at those amount of games where we’ve been very accountable, to finally get a win down here is a great tonic for the group.”
Phil Stubbins on what he told his players at half time: “The message was that we don’t hang on, we try and push on, we try and get three goals. And I think we need to keep that positive attitude about what we’re trying to achieve. The last two days leading into the game was very good on the training track, and there was a couple of things that were enacted on the paddock tonight that resulted in a goal. I think the overlap from ‘Hooley’ (Andrew Hoole) into (Lee) Ki-je for the second goal was what we’d worked on, and it’s always good when you see the fruits of your labour eventuate in game time.”
Phil Stubbins on his post-match mood: “I think as a team we play together, we win together, and lose together. As a group we did very, very well, and I am just pleased for the Club, I am pleased for the owner, I am pleased for everyone involved with the Newcastle Jets tonight.”
THE TEAMS:
Newcastle Jets FC: 3. Taylor REGAN, 5. Ben KANTAROVSKI, 7. Enver ALIVODIC (12. Sam GALLAGHER 77’), 11. Andrew HOOLE, 13. Edson MONTANO, 16. Jacob PEPPER (18. Allan WELSH 90+2’), 19. Mitch COOPER (27. Radovan PAVICEVIC 70’), 20. Ben KENNEDY (Gk), 21. Daniel MULLEN (C), 22. Lee KI-JE, 26. Nicholas COWBURN
Substitutes not used: 29. Michael KANTAROVSKI, 30. John SOLARI (Gk)
Yellow cards: Hoole, Cowburn, Lee, Mullen
Red cards: Nil
Western Sydney Wanderers FC: 1. Ante COVIC (Gk) (C), 15. Yianni PERKATIS (10. Yojiro TAKAHAGI 46’), 16. Jaushua SOTIRIO, 18. Iacopo LA ROCCA, 23. Jason TRIFIRO, 25. Samuel GALLAWAY, 31. Alusine FOFANAH (12. Nikita RUKUVYTSYA 69’), 32. Daniel ALESSI (6. Antony GOLEC 43’), 33. Nicholas KALMAR, 37. Jonathan ASPROPOTAMITIS, 38. Steve KUZMANOVSKI
Substitutes not used: 7. Labinot HALITI, 20. Dean BOUZANIS (Gk)
Yellow cards: Nil
Red cards: Nil
THE NEXT MATCH:
Newcastle Jets face Adelaide United at Hunter Stadium on Sunday 29 March 2015. Kick-off is at 5:00pm.
