A huge encounter out west between two teams sitting in the top four and Newcastle enter the clash on the back of three straight wins.
Date: Saturday 3 November, 2012
Kick-off: 6.45pm WST, 9.45pm AEDT
Venue: nib Stadium
Head-to-head
Played: 21 Wins: Perth Glory 10, Newcastle Jets 6, Draws: 5
Previous encounter
Perth Glory 2 Newcastle Jets 0, 18 February 2012
Form:
Past five matches:
Perth Glory: LWLWL
Newcastle Jets: WWWLL
The Game
A huge encounter out west between two teams sitting in the top four and Newcastle enter the clash on the back of three straight wins.
Ian Ferguson’s side have made an inconsistent start to the campaign and could be without captain Jacob Burns, who limped off the training track on Wednesday.
The Jets, who are missing several players to Young Socceroos duty, welcome back James Brown from injury. The exciting 22-year-old could come off the bench for Gary van Egmond’s team, who also regain Scott Neville.
The Jets are winless in league games at nib Stadium since their first visit there in 2005, having failed to collect three points at the ground in nine straight matches.
The big issue
Perth Glory – While they have made a bright start to the campaign, Glory will be eager to start winning consistently. Both times they have won this season it has been followed by a loss and Ferguson will be hoping his side can string together a run of positive results.
Newcastle Jets – a dreadful record in the west must be corrected sooner rather than later by the Jets. Of their 10 trips to nib Stadium, the Jets have lost five and drawn four and, against a fellow finals contender, breaking the run should be regarded as vital, even if they do get another chance later this year.
Gamebreaker
Emile Heskey has made a dream start to his A-League career. The English striker leads the goalscoring with four and has been a constant threat to teams in his side’s three-match winning run.
Against a usually reliable Glory defence, which is likely to feature a centre-back pairing of Bas van den Brink and Michael Thwaite, Heskey’s power will be needed to cause problems in the attacking third.
Prediction
Perth Glory 1-2 Newcastle Jets. The long run without a win at nib Stadium has to end at some point and the Jets come into the clash in fine form.
It was hot in Perth when the Glory easily overcame the Melbourne Heart in their previous home game, but warm conditions are not expected on Saturday. With wingers Craig Goodwin and probably James Virgili causing problems down the flanks and Heskey and Ryan Griffiths finishing, the Jets have firepower.
Glory full-backs Josh Risdon and Scott Jamieson are unlikely to get as far forward as they have been this season, giving the Jets an advantage they should make the most of at nib Stadium.
