A Chris Payne hat-trick has propelled the Newcastle Jets to a 5-0 win over Adelaide United in Saturday’s National Youth League clash at Burton Park.
A Chris Payne hat-trick has propelled the Newcastle Jets to a 5-0 win over Adelaide United in Saturday’s National Youth League clash at Burton Park.
With Payne in fine form, the Jets ran forward in numbers, defended grandly and rarely looked troubled in what was a fine response to last week’s 6-3 debacle at the hands of Brisbane Roar at Adamstown Oval.
For the Reds, it was their fourth straight defeat and the third consecutive week their leaky defence has conceded three or more goals.
Neither side could gain any real ascendancy initially and the possession count was relatively close.
United’s best chance came in the 15th minute when Liam Wooding cracked a shot from around 20m which was knocked by sprawling Newcastle keeper Jack Duncan.
The ball subsequently bobbled and bounced off the post and cleared but was literally centimetres away from giving the hosts the early lead.
Two minutes later, Payne found space and, with Reds custodian Nicholas Munro out of position, had a fierce ping.
But his hit was blocked by Adelaide’s defence which was up to the task on this occasion.
Payne made no mistake in the 29th minute when he jumped, controlled the ball and found the back of the net after Mario Simic’s fine run and cross.
Just six minutes later, David Taleski crossed it to Payne who finished by slotting it past Munro for the Jets’ and his second.
Stung, Adelaide had a chance to get one back in the 39th minute when Wooding found Teeboy Kamara with a clever cross but Kamara’s header not only was bunted safely to Duncan, it also left the west African striker prone for a good couple of minutes.
Kamara’s headed effort obviously connected with the sensitive spot, not the sweet spot of his scone.
It epitomised United’s wretched afternoon, which got even worse when Talevski goaled from a Mario Simic cross after the Reds’ defence was yet again caught napping and left far too much space unchecked.
The visitors were ahead 3-0 at half-time.
In style, the second half largely resembled the dour 0-0 stalemate between the two sides’ senior outfits from Friday night.
Adelaide’s renewed resolve was commendable until Ali Abbas broke the shackles in the 77th minute when he strolled into the easiest of open goals.
Payne provided further icing on the cake and made it a memorable individual hat-trick when, deep into injury time, the former Sydney FC premiership player struck a sensational goal from a tight angle and from long range which Munro had no answer for.
Adelaide United 0
Newcastle Jets 5 (Payne 29, 35, 90, Talevski 42, Abbas 77)
@ Burton Park, 26/11/2011
