Carl Robinson heaps pain on Newcastle

It was a grudge match born from Carl Robinson’s decision to walk out on the Newcastle Jets just eight months into the job and the occasion delivered.

Western Sydney’s Ziggy Gordon celebrates the game’s opening goal. Picture: Getty Images.

It was a grudge match born from Carl Robinson’s decision to walk out on the Newcastle Jets just eight months into the job and the occasion delivered.

The new Wanderers boss was the ready-made villain in the Hunter but he emerged the victor courtesy of a scorching Tate Russell winner to give Western Sydney a 2-1 away win at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday night.

In a week where the Jets’ crisis only worsened with their former owner stripped of his license and the club placed in the control of a consortium of other clubs, they had more salt poured into the club’s gaping wound by the manager who helped turn Newcastle’s fortunes around in the second half of last season.

Western Sydney’s win came courtesy of goals in either half and was much needed after an opening round defeat at the hands of A-League new boys Macarthur.

The Wanderers are in the sights of many after their aggressive off-season recruiting policy. The likes of Bernie Ibini and James Troisi may have attracted more controversy with their moves but it was another new arrival to the Wanderers in Ziggy Gordon who put them ahead after seven minutes when he nodded home a Troisi corner.

Western Sydney thought they had doubled the lead before halftime but Nicolai Muller’s superb strike was ruled out via VAR with English striker Simon Cox said to have been offside by the barest of margins in the build-up.

They doubled their advantage just before the hour mark though when Muller and Cox combined again to tee up Russell who slammed it home first time with a thunderous strike from the edge of the 18-yard box.

The Jets rallied late and got back into the game courtesy of a Nigel Boogard header from a free-kick in the 73rd minute.

That would spark a raft of late Newcastle attacks but the Wanderers defence was able to stand firm to help seal their first win of the Robinson era.

While the treatment of Robinson received from the Jets fans was mild, they didn’t miss Bernie Ibini. The former Newcastle attacker was so desperate to leave the club he bought out his own contract and the fans voiced their anger when he came on as a substitute.

The story of the season so far has been the emergence of exciting young Australian players and Western Sydney have unearthed another one in 19-year-old Thomas Aquilina who was lively all evening down the left.

There may not be too much to excite the Newcastle Jets fans at the moment but Valentino Yuel was a shining light.

• The A-League continues to be affected by COVID-19-enforced restrictions, with Brisbane Roar’s scheduled clash on Sunday at Dolphin Stadium against Melbourne Victory postponed.

The postponement came after the Queensland government on Friday announced a three-day lockdown in the Greater Brisbane area in a bid to contain the spread of the mutant UK COVID-19 strain after a hotel quarantine worker tested positive.