A 10-man Newcastle Jets stoically defied their numerical disadvantage to stun Sydney FC in a spellbinding 2-1 win at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday.
Andrew Nabbout’s sensational 30-yard strike sealed Jets’ first victory over the Sky Blues since December 2012 after Bobo had cancelled out Dimitri Petratos’ penalty.
The hosts had lost Roy O’Donovan to a straight red card inside 15 minutes but somehow found the resolve to delight a boisterous crowd of 18,156.
Ernie Merrick’s men are now back to within eight points of the leaders, who suffered just their second defeat of the season.
Catch up with all the goals and more in our match centre!
STORY OF THE GAME
- RED CARD! O’Donovan is given his marching orders in the 14th minute after catching Jordy Buijs in the face with his right arm.
- CLOSE: From an impossible angle, Adrian Mierzejewski curls a free-kick over Jack Duncan and into the crossbar.
- GOAL! Buijs is punished for a push on Nikolai Topor-Stanley and Petratos converts the resultant spot-kick to give the 10-man Jets a shock half-time lead.
- CHANCE: Alex Brosque blazes high and wide from a good position.
- GOAL! Bobo heads in a free-kick to draw Sydney FC level soon after the interval.
- GOAL! Nabbout immediately hits back for the Jets in superb fashion, arrowing in a sweet low strike from 30 yards.
- WOODWORK: Petratos breaks into the area and shimmies away from Alex Wilkinson, only to see his shot cannon back off the left post.
- CLOSE: Daniel Georgievski somehow diverts a deflected Adrian Mierzejewski strike off the line.
- INJURY: A late blow for Newcastle as Nigel Boogaard limps off having appeared to hyperextend his knee.
GOALS
Petratos, Newcastle Jets 43′: 1-0
Petratos beats Andrew Redmayne into the bottom left corner after Buijs is penalised for hands in the back of Nikolai Topor-Stanley.
Bobo, Sydney FC 52′: 1-1
Buijs fizzes in a wicked free-kick and Bobo glances a header inside the upright.
Nabbout, Newcastle Jets 56′: 2-1
Brilliance from Nabbout! He drives at the retreating defence, steps inside from the left and fires a rasping long-range drive into the bottom right corner.
???@NewcastleJetsFC SOARED thanks to Andrew Nabbout's fantastic strike! #ALeague #NEWvSYD
? @FOXFOOTBALL pic.twitter.com/B4k9NdUxKx
— Hyundai A-League (@ALeague) March 3, 2018
