Gutted by loss but don't write off Jets, says Stubbins
Newcastle coach Phil Stubbins revealed his disappointment after the Jets lost their A-League opener in the final minutes of the match, vowing his side will prove plenty of people wrong this season.
The Jets dominated large parts of the F3 Derby on Saturday and seemed set for a point against the Central Coast Mariners, before Mitchell Duke struck from a free-kick in injury time.
Newcastle had a goal disallowed for offside, racked up a host of chances, enjoyed 53% possession and notched up a 7-0 corner count over the home side at Central Coast Stadium but still went home empty-handed.
“That was tough to take,” Stubbins admitted to FourFourTwo.
“Cruel, but reality - I'm gutted for the boys and our supporters that travelled down.
“I’ve spoken all along about winning but most importantly what it costs to win. That scenario unfolded in the 93rd minute unfortunately.
“We also had chances to score but overall I’m happy with the performance albeit disappointed for the loss.
“Look, it will take some time to get everything up to speed with the fluency and effectiveness of our play but I’m proud of how the boys performed.
“We want to create a strong identity at the Jets with a strong culture attached to our play. We will continue to keep demanding of the group and pushing them on and searching for constant improvement in our play.
“We’re rebuilding at the moment, which won’t happen overnight, but we can definitely take lots of positives out of that first game as a team moving forward.”
The Jets were missing a number of midfielders with injury and their season won’t get any easier with an away trip to face Melbourne City this Sunday.
Many pundits has already written off the Novocastrians before the season started and have tipped them for the wooden spoon.
Stubbins said this is proving extra motivation.
“It certainly doesn’t sit well with me personally and I know the group is of the same thought,” he said.
“We have a fantastic supporter base here in Newcastle and a ground that needs 20,000 plus in it every time we play at home.
“We want that to be a reality but we know that won’t happen unless results and progress of the club take effect for the better.
“However, that’s going to take time to find that winning formula on a consistent basis but the signs from my viewpoint are very positive. They can keep writing us off but this group will prove them wrong.”
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