Tide of history turning for Newcastle Jets heading into A-League grand final
A SEASON that began as a write-off stands on the verge of writing history, with Newcastle Jets just 90 minutes from winning the A-League.
Newcastle Jets
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THEY just would not be denied.
A decade after they last graced the grand final, Newcastle Jets found undreamed-of levels of self-belief to turn their dreams of another into glorious reality.
MATCH: WORLD-CLASS GOAL PROPELS JETS TO GRAND FINAL
A season that began as a write-off stands on the verge of writing history, with Newcastle just 90 minutes from winning the A-League.
That they got there with one of the most breathtaking, extraordinary goals the A-League has seen just added to the fairytale. Now they will travel to Sydney — or host Melbourne Victory — feeling that tide of history might be turning their way.
Not even sheeting rain could douse the ardour of Newcastle’s passionate, raucous crowd. With one of their most distinguished footballing sons, Craig Johnston, watching on, the Jets showed why they have soared so high this year.
“The boys were pumped for this all week,” said coach Ernie Merrick. “I told them at halftime when they were a goal down, that if they got one goal they’d go on to win.
“Now we’re going into a grand final, and the boys are pretty excited.”
A goal behind with 57 minutes gone, the uncomfortable feeling was growing that this might be a game too far for Merrick’s side. In the stands, owner Martin Lee watched anxiously with his CEO, the redoubtable Lawrie McKinna — a man so superstitious he used to listen out on the radio for Simple Minds songs on the way to coaching Mariners games, convinced they were an omen his side would win.
But on the pitch, his players left nothing to fate. Just as remarkable as their transformation into the competition’s most attacking team has been the mental resilience instilled in his players by Merrick.
Time and again injuries had threatened to derail their season, but each time Merrick’s side found a way to cope.
Still, they needed some inspiration to go with the perspiration. Riley McGree’s moment of audacity turned the contest on its head, mainlining confidence through the veins of his teammates just at the point when their self-belief was dipping.
The way McGree arced his body to flick Ronny Vargas’s return pass from behind himself, as he ran at full pelt into the City box, was jaw-dropping enough; that he managed to send the ball on a perfect curve over Dean Bouzanis seemed to make time standstill until the explosion of sound that greeted the equaliser.
“We knew the crowd would get vocal and that white noise is so important,” said Merrick. “The crowd got us over the line.”
Jason Hoffman goes down as the scorer of the deciding goal, but it was fitting that Joey Champness — one of the youngsters who have flourished under Merrick’s reign, and have stood up when their coach needed it — was the one whose low cross created the chance.
Now the grand final beckons, a date with destiny that will galvanise the whole town. The football city of Newcastle is back.