Newcastle have held off a fast-finishing Western Sydney to register an exciting 4-3 win in their Foxtel National Youth League Round 10 fixture at Wanderers Oval on Sunday afternoon.
Newcastle have held off a fast-finishing Western Sydney to register an exciting 4-3 win in their Foxtel National Youth League Round 10 fixture at Wanderers Oval on Sunday afternoon.
The Jets took a 1-0 lead into half-time and looked to have sealed the contest when they went 3-0 ahead midway through the second stanza, but the Wanderers staged a spirited late comeback to ensure a thrilling finish.
The match began in warm, blustery conditions and it was the home side that started the better. Striker Kale Bradbery had the first chance when he propped inside the box but curled his shot just outside the far post before Mitch Cooper fired over the crossbar from the edge of the area.
The Wanderers worked their way into the match mainly through livewire winger Alusine Fofannah, who was causing the Jets’ right-hand defence plenty of problems with his pace.
Newcastle goalkeeper John Solari was called into action pulling off a fantastic diving save to deny a goal-bound header from Daniel Alessi from a corner and moments later the Jets custodian did well to deny Fofannah who had weaved his way into the box and fired a low shot towards the near post.
The Jets took the lead with a well-worked play that saw right winger Radovan Pavicevic sprint onto a nice through ball and into the penalty area before calmly steering a low shot into the far corner of the net for a 1-0 lead.
Newcastle were dealt a body blow just before half-time when Cooper was brought down in a rough challenge from Yanni Perkatis and in the process the Jets forward suffered a potentially serious knee injury that saw him helped from the field as the home side went to the break leading 1-0.
The Jets increased their lead midway through the second half when Mitchell Oxborrow swung a free kick into the box that was helped by the wind to go over the head of substitute goalkeeper Thomas Manos and into the top corner of the net.
Newcastle added another goal just moments later when Bradbery did well to get on the end of a long ball and scoot into the box where he fired a low shot under Manos and into the far corner to make it 3-0.
The Wanderers pulled one back just a minute later when Nicholas Olsen fired a low shot to the bottom of the far corner to make it 3-1.
Newcastle looked to have sealed the contest when Bradbery scored his second goal four minutes from full-time when he took a cross from Pavicevic and showed great footwork and skill to poke home at the near post to make it 4-1.
To their credit the Wanderers never gave up and they made it 4-2 when skipper Jake McGing was on the end of a lovely cross from James Baldacchino to steer it in at the back post.
The visitors ensured a thrilling final few moments for the Newcastle crowd when substitute Sean Symons fired a sizzling shot from just inside the box that flew into the top corner of the net to make it 4-3 in injury time.
But the Jets held on for the final few moments to ensure they took all three points.
Newcastle Jets 4(Pavicevic 32, Oxborrow 72, Bradbery 76, 86)
Western Sydney Wanderers 3 (Olsen 77, McGing 90, Symons 90+2)
Newcastle Jets
1. John Solari (20. Andrew Pearce ) 2. Michael Finlayson, (12. Willis Nadfalusi 46min), 3. Thomas Whiteside, 4. Nicolas Cowburn (capt), Matthew Bilic, 6. Mitchell Oxborrow, 7. Radovan Pavicevic, 8. Michael Kantarovski, 9. Kale Bradbery, 10. Mitch Cooper (13. Andrew Pawiak 40min), 11. Brandon Lundy (14. Thomas Waller 57min).
Western Sydney Wanderers
20. Blake Tuxford (1.Thomas Manos 46min), 2. Shanye D ‘Cuna, 3. Daniel Alessi, 4. Brendan Hooper, 5. Nic Olsen, 6. Jake McGing, 7. Lawrence Hanna,(13. Sean Symons 46min), 8. Yianni Perkatis, 9. Mark Cindric, (12. James Baldacchino 60min), 10. Joshua Barresi, (14. Jaushua Sotiro 46min), 11. Alusine Fofanah.
