A-League: Newcastle Jets strike pairing working well
The Newcastle Jets men’s side might still be looking for its first win, but one combination has already given fans plenty to smile about.
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The Newcastle Jets stepped out in front of their home fans for the first time this season with a men’s and women’s double-header against the Western Sydney Wanderers on Sunday.
And while both games ended in a draw, there was plenty of excitement and drama from what was a very wet McDonald Jones Stadium.
Three rounds into the season, catch up with the biggest talking points from the men’s and women’s sides.
DAVIS WRITES HER OWN FAIRYTALE
You couldn’t have scripted it any better.
Playing in remarkably her 132nd consecutive game (already an Australian football record) since debuting for the Jets in 2013, Cassidy Davies broke the record for the most appearances for Newcastle in the ALW against the Wanderers.
Down by a goal and with the clock ticking away in injury time, the midfielder pulled a worldie out of the fire, smashing in a volley from 25 metres out to level things at 1-1 and put an exclamation mark on her milestone match.
Take a look at the strike below.
STANTON’S TACTICS WORKED A TREAT
To the men, and while they might have only had 34 per cent possession, the Jets’ put on a masterclass in counterattacking football as Rob Stanton’s tactics worked a treat.
The Jets consistently troubled the Wanderers on the break, with the team’s second goal coming after Apostolos Stamatelopoulos finished off a sharp break down the right flank.
They could well have had another couple of goals before the halftime – and then again afterwards – as they continually got in behind Western Sydney’s defensive line.
And while they might not have controlled possession, the manager’s tactics proved to be extremely effective.
“I thought we transitioned well, we used that as a springboard – our defence to attack – and I think we caught them a few times and on an even better day it could have been three or four by halftime,” said the coach.
THE GOALS KEEP COMING
While they certainly left a few goals out there on the pitch with some wayward finishing, the Jets’ men’s side continued their impressive goalscoring run with another two against Western Sydney.
After three games the team has netted seven goals to be equal third in the league on that metric.
Although at times wasteful in the final third, this year’s side look a lot more potent than last season, with plenty of positive signs for a young team that is still getting used to each other.
“I think we’ve shown consistency with our ability to create and score chances, even though we’re a young team. I think a lot of people thought we wouldn’t,” said Stanton.
Three of those goals have come from Stamatelopoulos, who has impressed since returning to the club after a stint in Greece.
“He’s got a good process at the moment. He’s come in with an unbelievable attitude, for a guy who’s 24 he’s shown tremendous maturity,” said Stanton.
“He just led the team, he’s a good leader. That’s a reward for hard work, that’s a reward for committing every day, applying yourself, leading from the front and leading others.”
STRIKE PAIRING PROVES LETHAL
In particular, the Jets’ combinations up front are really starting to bear fruit.
While Stamatelopoulos has three goals, Buhagiar is leading the competition for assists with three, with the 25-year-old laying on the final ball for both of his teammates’ goals on the weekend.
And while they might not be the most high-profile strike pairing in the competition, Stamatelopoulos said he’s thrilled with their progress so far.
“I spoke previously about me and Trent and how we work together and complement each other – and I think that really showed on Sunday against the Wanderers.
“We complement each other really well: I like to come and get the ball to feet, he likes to make runs in behind and we really disorganise back fours a lot, I like to think.”
The pairing could well have brought about more goals, with Buhagiar missing two excellent chances and Stamatelopoulos hitting the post as they sliced through the Western Sydney backline.
“We were clinical (in the first half). We had two, three chances and scored two goals. And then I guess that didn’t really happen in the second half. We had a few chances to bury the game, I had one where I hit the post.”
SLIPS IN CONCENTRATION PROVE COSTLY
While the goals have been flowing fairly well, they have unfortunately been going in at an even higher rate at the other end, with the men conceding nine from three games.
Some fundamental errors proved costly in the first few games, and while they weren’t as obvious against the Wanderers, some slips in concentration came back to bite the side again.
The Wanderers first goal would have been particularly frustrating. Outjumped at a corner, the Jets couldn’t clear the ball as it somehow ricocheted off Western Sydney’s Josh Brillante and dribbled over the goal line from close distance.
Meanwhile for the second goal the Jets’ centre defenders just seemed to clock off ever so slightly and gave Swedish striker Marcus Antonsson too much room inside the box. While he didn’t have much of an impact in general play, he didn’t need to be asked twice, cooly slotting the ball home to tie things up and ultimately share the points.
It was a similar situation for the women, with the Wanderers also scoring from a set-piece.
With the ball lofted into the box from around 40 metres, the Jets allowed Wanderers’ defender Vicky Bruce to just waltz in unmarked and head the ball into the corner for her side’s first goal of the season.
With both games ending in draws, those slips in concentration ultimately proved costly.
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