Finals has been somewhat of a taboo subject for Newcastle coach Gary van Egmond but a fourth win on the trot against Perth Glory on Saturday would change all that.
Finals has been somewhat of a taboo subject for Newcastle coach Gary van Egmond but a fourth win on the trot against Perth Glory on Saturday would change all that.
Another win against the in-form Glory on their home turf would equal a club record four consecutive wins in the Hyundai A-League for the Jets.
Following last week’s sparkling display in a 3-0 win against the Heart at Hunter Stadium, the Jets have leaped to fifth on the table, bolstering their finals ambitions while further denting another contender’s.
During their recent run of three wins Newcastle have hit the net nine times while conceding just two and New Zealand international Jeremy Brockie has been the player to watch.
He has added three in the past two games to make it eight league goals this season, including two in Newcastle’s 5-2 rout of Sydney a fortnight ago.
Much to van Egmond’s pleasure will be the consistency and solidarity the Jets have shown of late.
For a side that could not buy an away win at the beginning of the season (winless in first nine trips) the Jets seem to have finally found the formula.
Back-to-back draws on their travels followed by a 1-0 advance over champions Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium and the 5-2 win over Sydney have catapulted the Jets into more than just finals contention.
Still, van Egmond insists on the old cliché of taking proceedings ‘one week at a time’ and seems to revel in the squad’s development and new-found consistency rather than the positive results.
“To pick up points on the road was the real confidence builder for us, the one thing that we have now is more consistency. There are plenty of things we still need to keep working on,” van Egmond said during the week.
Looking ahead to their opponents Perth, van Egmond knows better than anyone about the challenge that lies ahead.
The Glory are in fourth on the back of their recent good form and failed to do what Newcastle will attempt to achieve this weekend, a fourth straight victory.
Perth fell 2-1 to Sydney on Saturday to end their winning streak at three but will be back in the familiar surroundings of nib Stadium this time around.
It was a first loss in nine matches for Perth, who have rightfully laid claim to the form side in the competition.
In the three games preceding the Sydney loss, Perth scored 11 times and conceded just once.
The Glory are three points ahead of Newcastle in fourth with a six-goal better differential.
