They went close, but the Jets went down 2-1 to Melbourne Victory in their first Westfield W-League match of the campaign.
There were so many positives to take from the result though – positive attacking play, landmark goals, and a number of debuts.
REPORT: A close one in Melbourne
Here’s what we learnt from Thursday night’s defeat in Melbourne.
Debut defensive outing
Currently making the monumental shift from striker to centre-back, it was a first club outing at the back-end of the pitch for Larissa Crummer.
Selected in the Westfield Matildas squad for the upcoming friendlies in Penrith and Newcastle, Crummer showed she’s well on the way to making a smooth transition.
It was the first time the Bundaberg-born defender has played alongside Jets stalwart, Cass Davis, and that understanding will only improve as time goes on.
A first Westfield W-League goal
It had been two seasons without a goal to her name for Jets winger, Cortnee Vine, and she entered her third on Thursday night.
Twelve minutes into this campaign is all it took for the youngster to strike though – a precise finish after an inch-perfect Katie Stengel pass.
And her coach, Craig Deans, thinks that there are plenty of big things in store for the Young Matildas representative.
“Cortnee has that raw talent and she has potential, but it’s just about being consistent with her performances,” Deans said.
“Even on Thursday she was still a bit up and down, but it’s more just self-belief and confidence in herself to keep working hard, keep getting into positions where she can score goals.
“I’m happy for her, the one she scored today, and hopefully that can give her some confidence going into the game in a few weeks time.”
Impressive American trio
There were a number of standout performances on Thursday night, but three women who stood particularly tall were the Jets’ American contingent.
Katie Stengel was immense at the front end of the XI, displaying her brilliant hold-up play along with some deft footwork to set up chance after chance – including an assist for Cortnee Vine’s goal.
New recruit, Taylor Smith, was like a lightning bolt down the right-hand side. Playing as a full-back, Smith gave Jets fans plenty to look forward to throughout the season.
And despite conceding two goals, goalkeeper Britt Eckerstrom was enormous for Newcastle. She made a number of key saves – against Natasha Dowie in particular – to keep the Jets in the hunt.
