The Mariners have defeated the Jets 2-1 in a entertaining derby match at Energy Australia Stadium – the late finishing Mariners had too much for the Jets in the second half.

Who would have believed the two teams fought out the Grand Final in February earlier this year when looking at the competition table -, the Mariners briefly went to top spot and the Jets dead last (their hopes of a top four spot over). Both these teams will however complete in the lucrative Asian Football Confederation Champions League from March.

The Jets start on fire Matt Thomson finds Joel Griffiths on the edge of the penalty area and Joel unleashes a curling shot which is centimetres wide of the upright.

On eight minutes a D’Apuzzo throw-in finds Jesic in the penalty area, he is dragged down by Gumprecht, referee Peter O’Leary points to the spot, it’s a penalty which sends the home fans into applause. Joel Griffiths sets up and then sends the ball high into the top right corner of the net, its 1-0 Jets.

On just 17 minutes young Marko Jesic limps off with what looks like a serious knee injury, he is replaced by Wheelhouse.

On 26 minutes Thomson blocks Boljic clearance and races away on goal, his fierce shot is blocked by the advancing Vukovic, the ball rebounds to Griffiths but his follow up shot is also blocked by Vukovic.

The Mariners finally look threatening, a great cross by MaCallister on the half hour finds Petrovski who heads over from point blank range.

The first half ends with a great Song through ball that has Wheelhouse in the clear but from a angle his shot is straight at Vukovic as the half time whistle goes. Its been a exciting first half

The second half commences with a Joel Griffiths pass for Song but Heffernan intercepts.

On 54 minutes Hutchinson finds Petrovski on the edge of the penalty area, but Sasho blazes wide of the upright.

The Jets try to go two up on 58 minutes Wheelhouse finds Joel Griffiths, he lets go with a thunder bolt but its straight at Vukovic. Moments later Song and Joel Griffiths combine, Song crosses for Joel, his header forces a diving save from Vukovic.

On 66 minutes Heffernan reaches the by line, whips in a cross for Petrovski who gets in front of his defender and heads past Covic at the near post, its 1-1 and the travelling fans celebrate.

It becomes real end to end stuff as both teams search for a winner, the Mariners aiming to go top and the Jets aiming to keep their season alive, but the game is settled in a 60 second spell with just 11 minutes to go, Joel Griffiths back heels for Song who has time at the edge of the penalty area to place a shot, he fires away, sadly for the home fans the ball goes just over the cross bar.

The Mariners respond instantly – a quickly taken Petrovski free kick finds Simon, and he is able to fend off two Jets defenders to then fire past the advancing Covic. It’s 2-1 Mariners.

The final minutes has the Jets going forward in numbers but they are unable to break through as often the final pass is astray and the Mariners cleverly bring the ball forward and are able to waste valuable time.

The final whistle sees some pushing and shoving and Macallister is given a red card by Referee Peter O’Leary. It ends 2-1 Mariners.

www.back-of-the-net.com

The Newcastle Jets have defeated Melbourne Victory 1-0 in their National Youth League clash at Bob Jane Stadium on Saturday.

The opening minutes saw end to end play without any real threat to either goal. Nick Ward was prominent early for Victory gaining some early touches all over the park.

The Jets had an early opportunity to strike in the 10th minute after Fabio Di Lizia fouled Shaun Ontong on the edge the box. The resulting free kick was taken by Jesper Hakansson but it was met easily by Mitchell Langerak.

Melbourne had a golden opportunity to open the scoring in the 17th minute when a good through ball by Pantelidis put Ward in the box. With just Ben Kennedy to beat, Ward shot over the bar.

In the 19th minute only the brilliance of Mitchell Langerak came between the Jets and the lead. Matt Thompson’s pass found Jason Naidovski whose shot to the bottom right corner was palmed out by the diving Langerak.

Newcastle opened the scoring in the 27th minute. The Jets were awarded the free kick for handball only 10 metres outside the box. Matt Thompson’s curling free was saved by Langerak only for Marko Jesic to smash the rebound into the back of the net.

In the 41st minute Victory had another chance when Ward threaded a gap to pass to Nathan Elasi whose shot was blocked by Kennedy.

An eventful first half came to an end after one additional minute with the Jets leading 1-0.

Victory started the second half in the same manner as the first with attacking play. Leigh Broxham’s shot from outside the box in the 47th minute was taken by Kennedy diving low to his right.

Victory had a free kick in the 48th minute after a foul by Antun Kovacic resulted in him being the first player booked for the game. Nick Ward met the free with a glancing header, but it was well over the cross bar.

The end to end action continued with Langerak’s best efforts required to dive at full stretch and palm out Kovacic’s header in the 51st minute.

After an early flurry of goal scoring opportunities early in the second half, the free flowing play became somewhat halted with some tackles and rough challenges resulting in yellow cards to the Victory’s Leigh Broxham and Mifit Bojku.

The Jets had a chance to double their advantage in the 76th minute when Hakansson passed the ball to Patafta, who laid it off to Harper, running towards Langerak, but his shot was poor and didn’t force the Victory stopper into making a save.

In the 85th minute Ward chased down a seemingly lost ball before it went out of play to earn his team a corner. Di Lizia met the corner with an unchallenged header but it was over the cross bar.

In the 90th minute Victory pushed forward once again. Griffiths rushed to the ball but the bounce was unkind, leaving him to head it from outside the box. It went to Ward who centred to Elasi, whose shot was cleared off the line by a desperate Newcastle defence.

The Jets held off the late challenge from Victory to record only their second win of the season. The win keeps them in touch with the top four on 7 points, whilst Victory remain on the bottom with only one win from their eight matches.

Victory coach Mehmet Durakovic was pleased with his team’s performance, but disappointed with the result.

“We played quite well and had our chances,” he said.

“One mistake in defence was costly, we are a young side and made small mistakes.”

Durakovic was positive his side could bounce back and find some winning form.

“We will look at the mistakes made and try to rectify them,” he said.

“We are not doing a lot wrong, but it is a matter of simple mistakes costing us.”

www.a-league.com

Newcastle Jets held competition leaders Sydney FC to a 1-1 draw in a hard-fought and open encounter at Campbelltown Stadium.

The league’s top scorer Leena Khamis netted three minutes after the interval but Katie Gill’s equaliser mid-way through the second half ensured the first ever draw of the Westfield W-League.

A first half arm-wrestle gave way to an open second half with both teams creating a number of quality goalscoring opportunities.

The Jets could have scored in the opening minutes of the match when a corner swung in from the left was flicked on by Cheryl Salisbury with Stacey Day twice denied in the ensuing melee.

Sydney FC replied with a Kylie Ledbrook free kick from distance that flew over the crossbar, with Servet Uzunlar also letting fly with the similar result.

On the half hour Khamis was put clear but she pulled her shot wide under pressure from Salisbury.

Sydney had a golden opportunity to break the deadlock late in the half but Khamis overhit her pass to Linda O’Neill who only had the goalkeeper to beat.

The best chance of the half fell right on the stroke of half time with Salisbury’s pinpoint cross from the left flank met expertly by Katie Gill but her header narrowly cleared the crossbar landing on the roof of the net.

Khamis broke the deadlock just after the break when she made good connection with a volley that took a massive deflection off Salisbury, wrong-footing Logue and looping into the goal. It was Khamis’ fifth goal in four starts to keep her at the top of the league’s goalscorers’ chart.

Midfield dynamo Uzunlar was inches away from being rewarded for a player of the match performance but her rasping shot from just outside the area narrowly cleared the right post.

Newcastle equalised mid-way through the second half with Gill displaying great strikers instinct to latch onto a loose ball and bury her shot into the far corner from 20 metres for her third goal of the season.

Khamis could have given her side the lead for a second time when she sprung the offside trap, and although Logue made a partial save, it took a last-ditch goal-line clearance from Gema Simon to maintain parity.

The action opened up further as the match wore on with play moving from end to end as fatigue set in on the sandy pitch.

Substitute Jessica Seaman could have won it for Sydney FC with virtually the last kick of the game but her snapshot went narrowly wide.

“I though it was a fairly even game, but I felt we shaded them in terms of chances and shots and thought we probably deserved a 2-1 or 3-1 victory,” said Sydney FC coach Alen Stajcic.

“We are still carrying a few injuries, and have to get through the next couple of weeks with the players we have got, who all did quite well today.”

“We will get the likes of Heather Garriock and Sarah Walsh back and am sure we will be a threat to the competition.”

www.w-league.com.au

Newcastle Jets gradually dominated the Mariners after a slow start and knocked in four goals to sent the home side to the bottom of the table.

The first 10 minutes of the game was full of very tentative play with the Mariners shading the visitors, with the first chance of the game falling to Laurence Braude who received a ball played in after the Mariners won it with a solid challenge on the left. Braude shot through players in the area and it was on target until Jets keeper Jordan Griffiths saw it late and made an acrobatic save to his left.

In the 21st minute the Newcastle side drew first ‘blood’ in the derby when Jesse Pinto blasted a free kick from outside the area, off the wall and past a beaten Coast keeper Matthew Nash. 0-1

The Jets’s confidence grew through the half, and although Darko Vidovic had a great chance with a header right in the front but sent high and well over. In the 34th minute Adrian Krakolevski made it 0-2 when his show from range curled into the top left corner of the net with Nash slow to react. 0-2

In the second half the Mariners had some chances that were generally squandered, and their formation was disjointed.

The visitors finished stronger with Coast central defender Nathan Sherlock a contributor to both. Firstly substitute Virgil outran Sherlock and with Nash out but hesitent, Virgil rounded them both and slotted the ball home. 0-3

In the fourth and final goal Sherlock miss-hit his pass back to his keeper, so former Marconi Stallion Brodie Mooy pounced and slipped it inside the upright with Nash beaten. 0-4

Newcastle thoroughly deserved their win and moved off the bottom of the table to be replaced by the Mariners, who have a lot more work to do on their formation.

www.back-of-the-net.com

The first weekend of Westfield W-League action included a match at Broadmeadow Magic’s revamped Magic Park, officially Wanderers Oval, though there is nothing remotely oval about this excellent facility nurtured by Newcastle’s Macedonian community.

The women of Newcastle Jets had new club Canberra United to contend with for their initiation and it promised to be a baptism of fire.

When Jets’ captain, Cheryl Salisbury, guarding the near post for a second minute Christine Walters’ corner from the left, stuck out a foot and turned the ball into her own net things looked grim for the home side, conceding agoal so soon after the start, but the locals recovered well.

They went on to beat Canberra 2-1, though most present would probably agree that the visitors were the better side on the day.

Officially the Canberra goal was credited to Sasha McDonnell, though it was hard to see how, even allowing for our view being blocked by late-arriving spectators standing in front of the media rooms, as the crowd built pleasingly to around 1,100 by Broadmeadow Magic officials’ estimates.

Newcastle took a while to settle but did produce the next real chance, as Canberra appeared to play within themselves, having taken an unexpected early lead.

In the eleventh minute the familiar figure of Katie Gill, who was later to score a brace and troubled the Canberra defence all afternoon, put what looked an excellent chance over the bar.

Canberra found their own first opportunity three minutes later when Kara Mowbray, getting away down the right, laid on a pass for Amy Chapman, whose shot was claimed down low by resolute Jets’ keeper, Alison Logue, who was to go on and make many more saves as the game wore on and become a real thorn in the side of the team in green.

Newcastle counter-attacked well in the 21st with Salisbury skipping clear into the Canberra box. While the ball was stuck away by Emily Van Egmond, after the Salisbury shot had been booted clear, the assistant’s flag had been raised for offside.

Three minutes later, however, Gill found the net legitimately, after Canberra had failed to press home their advantage in possession and the Newcastle strategy of attacking on the break yielded its first dividend.

Gill used her physical presence to get the better of the last defender to tuck the ball nicely past Lydia Willams to make it 1-1 at half time.

A Canberra corner two minutes after the restart, again from Walters, was played short to McDonnell whose cut-back to Caitlin Munoz was headed just over the bar.

The Canberra side was still looking the more likely winner at this stage.

A good chance went begging in the 52nd after Chapman on the right had provided McDonnell with the opening but the striker lacked conviction on this occasion.

A super-save from the busy Logue in the Newcastle goal denied Munoz in the 60th after Mowbray had once more done the spade work.

Canberra’s 58th minute substitute, Ashleigh Sykes, a member of the Young Matildas squad heading to Kuala Lumpur right after this match – Bronwyn Studman, Cian Maciejewski, Van Egmond and Samantha Wood also going there from those playing in this contest – showed great speed and strength to get past her markers on the right only to be thwarted by the cool presence of Logue once more.

It looked as if Canberra would go on with it but they lost a player to injury after making their last substitution and this could have been the catalyst that allowed Newcastle to win the game in the 82nd with another Salisbury goal, also on the break.

Right at the end, after seeing Logue frustrate them continually, Canberra had once last chance to take at least a point but skipper, Ellie Brush, volleyed just over the bar.

It was a great success, this first Westfield W-League game, played at Broadmeadow, as the crowd on a sunny, very warm afternoon exceeded all expectations and provided a tremendous atmospher

If all games in this new league can attract similar interest and support then Westfield has a winner.

NBN cameras were there to record the game played on a pitch lush with grass after a full winter of football played on it in the NBN League by Broadmeadow Magic and their opponents.

Only disappointing note was the lack of a match programme for the spectators who had forked out $5 to watch. Getting to know the names of the players is part and parcel of following a team and having their names on the back of their shirts is not always enough.

Newcastle may not have had the majority of the play but they played it tactically smart, had an excellent keeper and some highly experienced players in their ranks. Getting off to a winning start was great for the supporters and showed that coach, Gary Phillips, had his team well prepared for the opening fixture.

After the game participants from both teams talked freely with the media.

Newcastle coach, Gary Phillips, stated that “We have not had a good preparation but I still had a lot of confidence going into this game. I felt that the experienced player we had in the team would carry us through. We’re a bit under-done and we won’t be at our best probably until four or five rounds of the season. We should be OK then.”

Newcastle’s goalscorer, Katie Gill, said “It was good to be back here and after only 24 hours to recover from our flight it was never going to be easy. The crowd today was tremendous.”

Robbie Hooker, the Canberra coach, said “We had plenty of chances and there were a few tired bodies when it was all over. Caitlin has done her medial ligaments and Sasha (McDonnell) has a swollen ankle. It was a pretty physical match”.

“It just became sort of apparent, the old scenario, that the one just get two really good chances and score and the other team would have a thousand chances but just couldn’t score any,” added Hooker.

“I think [Jets' Coach] Gary [Phillips] will be the first to admit they dodged a bullet today, but there will be games this year I think we’ll will be lucky to get away with that, that’s football.”

“I don’t think they had any more experienced players out there than we did. That was not how they ended up winning the match,” he said when asked if he agreed with Phillips that his Newcastle team’s greater depth of experience was the deciding factor.

Canberra’s Thea Slatyer said that “It was quite physical and rough and a really fast game.” “My spirits aren’t down from that [performance] at all. It was really tough and the girls did a really good job, I’m really proud of them,” said Canberra United’s vice-captain. “We haven’t had a lot of preparation as a whole squad and I think we did really good job of gelling and playing together and I can’t wait to play again with the girls.”

www.back-of-the-net.com

As derby matches go it was pretty much up to expectations when a full blooded local joust between Central Coast Mariners and F3 Freeway neighbours, Newcastle Jets, kept a noisy crowd enthralled for a full ninety minutes.

In the end the home side had prevailed but only by a slender 1-0 margin and there was little in it really as only poor finishing and some defensive blunders parted the two teams.

Main culprit on this occasion was Jets’ ’screener’ Jobe Wheelhouse who gave up possession close to goal on at least three occasions, escaping punishment twice before seeing the man who gave him the slip, Matt Simon, provide the pass for Dylan Macallister to break the deadlock in the 33rd minute.

Macallister, one member of a fired-up three-man Mariners’ attack had missed earlier chances that a striker playing regularly might have taken. But the former Northern Spirit man had been struggling to break into the starting line-up after sustaining niggling injuries over recent weeks and it was only coach, Lawrie McKinna’s plan to use a three man attack that allowed him back into the team from the beginning.

McKinna revealed later that a second member of the strike-force, Simon, had been ill for a few days and had missed some training sessions hence his replacement an hour into the game by another injury-plagued, Nik Mrdja, who will be keen to join Macallister as a regular member of the side after three frustrating seasons in Gosford.

Mrdja may not get many chances just yet as a three man attack is unlikely to become a permanent approach and both Saso Petrovski and Simon are still playing very well. Macallister has to break in himself while Mrdja, if he proves himself fit, may offer more from dead ball situations than anyone else, when the impressive Mile Jedinak is ruled out for one reason or another.

Jedinak, a Socceroo selection recently and currently injured, had to miss this one, while long time absentee, Andre Gumprecht, was given ten minutes late in the game playing up front once Petrovski took an early breather during stoppage time

The match began typically tightly and there was no indication which of the teams might prevail. It looked a good bet for a draw as Mariners’ keeper, Danny Vukovic, now established again as the number one with the departure of Mark Bosnich, came to his team’s rescue with some fabulous last ditch defending and crucial saves. In front of him Paul O’Grady, who was less than convincing a week earlier against Wellington Phoenix, had a blinder in front of his keeper.

Central Coast had an early chance when Adrian Caceres latched onto a corner form John Hutchinson in the second minute but saw his fierce volley cannon off a defender.

Three minutes later and tracked every inch of the way by Jets’ skipper Jade North, Macallister advance towards goal from a John Hutchinson pass got him inside the six yard box but the Mariners’ man gave Ante Covic an easy take.

That was one chance gone and there were a few more that had Macallister holding his head in anguish wondering if he would ever score in this important game for his club.

After six minutes he was to be denied again.

Petrovski sent Simon through, this time, but Covic came out well to boot clear.

A ninth minute corner from Matthew Osman offered Macallister another chance, with a strong, low shot that the keeper was to save very well.

Newcastle began to make some impression after this and it was only a bad angle that prevented Jesper Hakansson from opening the scoring after a big run down the right in the 18th.

Much maligned Ecuadorian striker, Edmundo Zura, ran onto a pass from the left by Matt Thompson and converged on the ball at the same moment as Vukovic, who fumbled his attempt to reach it, and the ball came off Zura for a goal kick as it flashed past the left hand upright. It could as easily have crept inside the post and Vukovic got hurt in the collision.

Zura also shot over the bar four minutes later as the crowd gave the import ‘the bird’ for having the temerity to get physical with their hero, Vukovic.

He was booed for the remainder of the game for doing what all strikers are entitled to do; go for the ball in a 50- 50 challenge inside the box.

After 25 minutes Macallister had yet another chance to open his account when Covic saved well at the near post after Wheelhouse had been robbed by Thompson on the left.

Macallister headed over after Petrovski had touched on a cross from Caceres from the left.

Finally Macallister made amends, turning sharply inside the box to shake off two defenders, including North, to fire home from close range past Covic after Simon had supplied the cross, having left Wheelhouse in his wake.

Newcastle got going better after the break with a far from fit Joel Griffiths working his socks off to try and get the better of his markers and become provider as well as potential scorer.

Mark Milligan had started the game after being signed midweek and tried hard to lift his new team.

Griffiths was unable to find the target, however, as Zura began to pepper the goalmouth with some useful crosses and Jin-Hyung Song ran hard without looking convincing once in striking range.

His headed chance ten minutes from the end was typical of his disappointing showings near goal as the ball flew well over the bar.

Newcastle might have done better when Zura had a chance in the 59th but Vukovic saved well.

Adam Griffiths defended well for the Jets and got forward to set up Joel in the 69th but the drive went just over the bar.

Vukovic also needed to be alert to prevent his own defender, Brad Porter’s, downward header bouncing over him and into the goal; but the keeper climbed well to tip over the bar and avert the potential disaster.

Wheelhouse was thrust forward towards the end after Thompson was replaced by Daniel Piorkowski but Wheelhouse lifted his best chance over the bar in the 85th.

Joel Griffiths had a great shot tipped over by Vukovic in the 89th minute as the popular keeper showed why he was so highly valued by his club.

Adam D’Apuzzo broke late in the game for the Mariners but his shot was tipped over too.

In the end the home side took the bragging rights but there was not a lot in it. The catalyst this time was the Mariners’ below par performance against Wellington that spurred them to redemption.

Being a derby one wonders if it was going to be needed, but it certainly gave the home side the fire and McKinna gave them the fire power to execute the plan.

www.back-of-the-net.com