The Newcastle Jets have opened their National Youth League season with a convincing 4-1 win over the Australian Institute of Sport at Adamstown Oval on Saturday afternoon.
The Newcastle Jets have opened their National Youth League season with a convincing 4-1 win over the Australian Institute of Sport at Adamstown Oval on Saturday afternoon.
Newcastle midfielder Jon Griffiths grabbed the opener in the seventh minute of the match before James Virgili slotted home just before half-time.
The Jets made it 3-0 when Fabian Iacovelli scored a penalty in the 81st minute before Corey Brown pinched one back for the AIS five minutes before full-time. Newcastle sealed the victory when Scott Pettit volleyed home in stoppage time.
The home side was on the board in just the seventh minute following a Gavin Forbes corner found Taylor Regan on the edge of the six-yard box. He chested the ball to the feet of Jon Griffiths who produced a crisp left-foot strike to put the ball in the back of the net.
The Jets continued to control the match and went close to doubling their lead on a number of occasions except for some sterling work in goals by AIS keeper Aaron Lennox.
Down the other end the AIS started to make some in-roads in attack. Livewire striker Melvin Becket shot wide from the edge of the area while Jake Barker-Daish saw he 20-yard free kick sail narrowly over the crossbar.
Newcastle extended their lead just before half-time when a midfielder Fabian Iacovelli delivered a superb through ball for Gavin Forbes on the edge of the area. He pushed the ball onto James Virgili who slotted the ball into the far corner.
The AIS’s task was made harder when they were reduced to 10 men just on the stroke of half-time when Ryan Edwards was shown his second yellow card of the half, this time for a tackle from behind on Scott Pettit.
The Jets almost got another goal in the 67th minute when substitute right back Samuel Galloway got in behind the defence only to see his shot blocked by Lennox. The ball then fell to Jesse Pinto who saw his follow-up shot again blocked by Lennox.
Just moments later the AIS went close to scoring when Becket made an incisive run through the midfield before feeding substitute forward Jesse Makarounas, who shot narrowly wide from an acute angle on he right side.
The Jets got their third goal when Pettit was felled in the box by substitute defender Kwabena Boahene. Fabian Iacovelli stepped up for Newcastle and converted from the spot to make it 3-0 after 81 minutes.
The AIS deservedly pulled a goal just four minutes later. Another Becket run in the middle of the park created space for left back Corey Brown, who streaked into the penalty box and struck a lovely left-foot shot inside the far post.
The AIS went close again with Becket and Makarounas cutting the Jets defence to ribbons but only managing to shoot wide.
But the Jets had the last say when Iacovelli made a break down the right flank before squaring the ball for Pettit who volleyed the ball into the near post before the ball snuck inside the opposite post for the Jets to seal an impressive opening win.
Newcastle Jets 4
(Griffiths 7, Virgili 42, Iacovelli 81pen, Pettit 90+1)
AIS 1
(Brown 85)
