Adelaide United claimed a third consecutive Liberty A-League victory with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Newcastle Jets at Coopers Stadium.
Fiona Worts scored a double, while Chelsie Dawber added plenty of creativity, helping the Reds consolidate third spot on the table after keeping a third clean sheet in a row.
Adelaide had the Jets on the ropes early in Friday’s match with a handful of clear opportunities in the first game of a doubleheader.
The first came in the sixth minute when Dawber whipped in a low cross for Worts at the near post but the striker’s effort was kept out by a reflex save by Claire Coelho.
Dawber was involved again 10 minutes later, supplying another cross, this time for Paige Hayward who directed a header back across the face of goal.
Worts was left unchecked but, with the goal beckoning, she could only muster a weak shot which Coelho dived on to just keep from crossing the goal line.
The Reds’ pressure eventually paid off and it was Worts, who opened the scoring on 24 minutes.
She collected the ball outside the area and sprayed a pass to Hayward who supplied the return ball.
Worts controlled, stepped around her opponent and picked out the back of the net with a neat, left-footed curling shot.
The Jets’ best chance of the half came via Ashlee Brodigan who fired from outside the area, looking to beat Adelaide keeper Annalee Grove at the near post, but her shot hit the side netting.
Emily Condon also had a great chance for Adelaide just before the break, smashing a free kick into the upright from a similar position to where she scored a stunning set piece goal earlier in the season.
Newcastle lifted after the interval and attacked the Reds in search of an equaliser.
Substitute Tara Andrews wasted a chance just before the hour after a perfect cross from out wide by Sophie Harding. The unmarked striker sent her header over the bar.
Worts scored her second goal on 75 minutes.
Dawber danced around two defenders on the edge of the area before firing a shot low and hard which Jets’ keeper Coelho could only parry into the path of Worts, who tapped it in from close range.
After being involved in almost every Reds’ goalscoring chance, Dawber was rewarded with a goal of her own.
The attacker was brought down inside the area and stepped up to coolly convert the spot kick on 80 minutes, sending Coelho the wrong way.
Adelaide head coach Adrian Stenta was thrilled with Adelaide’s display.
“I think it was a really good performance,” he said. “I think we played in a confident manner and made the game comfortable for us.”
Jets coach Ashley Wilson felt her side were considerably below their best.
“I think the second half was a lot better than the first half,” she said. “We were probably not as aggressive as we usually are in the first half.”
