The Newcastle Jets have kept their slim finals hopes alive with a resounding 4-0 win over Perth Glory at EnergyAustralia Stadium on Thursday night.
Goals to Labinot Haliti and Jeremy Brockie were capped off by a superb second-half brace to ‘super-sub Sasho Petrovski to give the Jets a crucial win and keep them in the hunt for a finals berth.
The win moves Newcastle to 35 points, just three behind Wellington Phoenix with one round remaining before the top six are decided, while it was the 14th away loss for the Glory whose disappointing season can’t end soon enough.
Jets coach Branko Culina said he was proud of the way his team played and that they had kept their dream ‘alive’.
“I said last week after we had played Sydney that I was an optimistic but also a realist but we are certainly doing everything we can to make sure, if nothing else, we give Wellington a bit of a scare,” he said after the match.
“It will keep them thinking for the next few days and the four goals we scored tonight certainly puts us back in the frame.”
Meanwhile Glory coach Ian Ferguson said he was frustrated by another away loss.
“I keep saying the same old things over and over we keep making the same mistakes,” he said.
“You should be able to tell a good player once or twice, not every day, and it is getting to that stage where it is frustrating.”
After a lively opening the Jets grabbed the first goal in the 13th minute of the match when Tarek Elrich floated a cross into the top of the box. Brockie chested the ball down to Haliti who unleashed a right-foot drive from the edge of the area that cannoned off the far post and back into the net for a 1-0 lead.
The Jets attacked again moments later with Brockie and Ali Abbas combining to make space for striker Marko Jesic on the edge of the box but he could only direct hit shot straight into the arms of Glory goalkeeper Tando Velaphi.
The Glory worked their way back into the game and enjoyed a good spell of possession and territory that culminated in a blistering long-range effort from Howard Fondyke that forced Newcastle custodian Ben Kennedy into a fine diving save on the half-hour mark.
Perth continued to press and went close when Adam Taggart worked his way into the box from the left flank, but he could only send his shot from an acute angle into the side netting.
The Jets had a late chance when Abbas worked his way into the box and fired at the near post but Velaphi showed good positioning to swallow up the shot and send the teams to the sheds with the home side leading 1-0.
The Jets came with strong intent in the second half, attacking confidently with Haliti and Ryan Griffiths blazing wide of the target before they grabbed their second goal in the 55th minute.
Jesic slid a lovely through ball for Brockie, who stepped around defender Scott Neville before sending a low shot just inside the far post for a 2-0 lead.
Culina introduced veteran striker Sasho Petrovski for Haliti on the hour mark and the crowd favourite made an immediate impact with two goals in as many minutes.
The 35-year-old made the most of his last home match for the Jets when he calmly converted from the penalty spot in the 68th minute after defender Brent Griffiths handballed in his own penalty area.
Petrovski then scored from the kick-off when he pounced on an error from Griffiths to take the ball into the penalty area and threaded a trademark low shot inside the far post to cap off a remarkable two minutes.
Petrovski almost grabbed his hat-trick just a few moments later when he was put in on goal by Abbas but Velaphi was able to block the shot to deny the veteran.
The Glory almost pulled one back when Robbie Fowler slide a lovely ball through for Tommy Amphlett, but Kennedy was able to push his low shot around the post and maintain an important clean sheet.
Newcastle Jets 4 Haliti 13, Brockie 55, Petrovski 68pen, 69
Perth Glory 0
Crowd: 7286 at EnergyAustralia Stadium
