Socceroos great Mark Milligan has his first win in charge of the Newcastle Jets after his side defeated Adelaide United 2-1 in the Hahn Australia Cup Round of 32.
Taking the game by the scruff of the neck from the off, new Jets signing Max Burgess sent a rasping effort towards goal which was brilliantly tipped round the post by Adelaide keeper Max Vartuli in just the third minute.
With Burgess pulling the strings the home side continued to push for the opener and fellow new signing Alex Badolato then struck the foot of the post with a low effort in just the 11th minute.
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However against the run of play it was the away side who broke the deadlock and it came care of a piece of magic from midfielder Johnny Yull. Having brilliantly beaten his man down the right, Yull then produced an inch-perfect pass to tee-up teammate Stefan Mauk to convert from close range inside the box.
The away side’s lead didn’t last long though as the Jets hit back care of a well-taken finish from forward Ben Gibson, who curled a left-footed effort into the far corner from the edge of the box in the 31st minute.
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Level at the break, the Jets took the lead in the 48th minute at Mailtand Sports Ground and it was new signing Badolato who found the back of the net, firing a low strike beyond the dive of Vartuli and into the back of the net to seal an impressive win for Milligan’s new-look Jets.
As a reward for their hard-fought win, the Jets will now take on NPL Northern NSW side Cooks Hill United in the Round of 16.
Teenage talent makes club history as youthful City side defeated by APIA Leichhardt
Isuzu UTE A-League Champions Melbourne City’s hopes of lifting the Hahn Australia Cup are over after they were defeated 2-0 by NPL NSW side APIA Leichhardt in the Round of 32.
City head coach Aurelio Vidmar fielded an incredibly young side at Leichhardt Oval with the average age of the team just 18 and, while they controlled large swathe of possession, it was the side currently running second in NPL NSW who took the lead.
Receiving the ball inside the box in the 27th minute, winger Seiya Kambayashi bent a superb a right-footed effort beyond keeper Lachlan Charles and into the back of the net to make it 1-0.
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Having signed his first professional deal young attacker Beckham Baker was thrown into the starting line-up and had a good chance to level things up for City in the second-half but blazed his effort over the bar in the 52nd minute.
The Young city side continued to up the tempo in the second-half and went close to levelling the scores whilst a last-ditch defensive effort from Harry Shillington coupled with a superb save from Charles kept the scoreline at 1-0.
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City then made history in the 62nd minute as young talent Akeem Gerald became the youngest ever player to feature for the first team as he was subbed on aged just 15 years and 179 days.
However the home side had proven to be the more dangerous throughout the campaign and duly wrapped up a 2-0 win in the 79th minute as winger Jack Stewart powered a low effort beyond Charles and into the far corner to book APIA’s spot in the Round of 16, where they’ll now face NPL Victoria side Avondale FC.
