Adelaide United has moved into second spot on the National Youth League ladder following a convincing 3-0 win over Newcastle at EnergyAustralia Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
United controlled the Round 10 fixture from the outset and could have won by more if not for the heroics of Newcastle goalkeeper Jordan Griffiths, who pulled off a number of fantastic saves.
Adelaide midfielder Matt Mullen scored the opener in the 40th minute to send the visitors to the half-time break holding a deserved 1-0 lead. Griffiths denied a barrage of shots early in the second half before Francesco Monterosso and Shane Tobias made sure of the points for United with goals late in the match.
Adelaide had the best of the chances in the opening part of the match with Joel Allwright and Robert Younis going close before the Jets mounted a serious threat on goal.
When the home side managed to make inroads it was via nippy strikers Brodie Mooy and Jesse Pinto but the United defence managed to deal with most of the attacks quite comfortably.
Down the other end Adelaide continued to look dangerous.
Griffiths did well to save a powerful low volley from United’s Osama Malik on the half-hour mark and denied Younis, when the striker made his way into the penalty area.
The visitors eventually got the opener in the 40th minute when Mullen took a good through ball a slotted the ball past the advancing defence from 15 yards out to hand Adelaide a 1-0 lead at the break.
Adelaide picked up where they left off from in the first half launching a number of enterprising attacks on the Jets goal and it was only some fine saves from Griffiths that kept the home side in the match. The Newcastle custodian did well to deny a well-struck volley from Allwright, and a Robert Cornthwaite close-range header before producing a great diving save to keep out a curling Younis free-kick.
Newcastle almost leveled against the run of play in the 68th minute when Adelaide failed to clear adequately after a goal-mouth scramble but Pinto ballooned his header over the crossbar.
Griffiths again did well to a deny Allwright in the 75th minute but he could only parry away Malik’s shot moments later and Adelaide substitute striker Francesco Monterosso pounced on the loose ball to stroke home from four yards out to make it 2-0.
The visitors picked up their third goal two minutes from full-time when Shane Tobias was on the spot to poke in a pin-point cross from Mullen.
The win sees Adelaide leapfrog Queensland into second spot on the ladder while the Jets remain fifth.
Match Details
Newcastle Jets 0
Adelaide United 3 (Matthew Mullen 41-, Francesco Monterosso 77-, Shane Tobias 88-)
EnergyAustralia Stadium, Adelaide
Sunday 30 November 2008
Referee: James Gillet
Assistant Referees: Michael Amloh & Nathan Magill
Fourth Official: Tim McGilchrist
Newcastle Jets line-up: 1.Jordan GRIFFITHS (gk), 2.Joel WITHERDIN (15.Simon MOONEY 46-), 3.Jarrad ROSS, 4.Jon GRIFFITHS, 5.George STROGYLOS, 6.Taylor REGAN (c), 7.Adrian KARAKOLEVSKI (12.Jacob PEPPER 57-), 8.Matt HARPER, 9.Brodie MOOY, 10.Jesse PINTO, 11.James VIRGILI
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
Adelaide United line-up: 20.Mark BIRIGHITTI (gk), 3.Scott WEIDENBACH (2.Michael DOYLE 57-), 4.Michael MARRONE, 5.Shane TOBIAS, 6.Alexander SUNASKY, 7.Joel ALLWRIGHT, 8.Matthew MULLEN (21.Angelo ARAMBATSIS 54- (8.Matthew MULLEN 74-)), 9.Robert YOUNIS (OA)( 15.Francesco MONTEROSSO 58-), 10.Osama MALIK, 13.Robert CORNTHWAITE (OA) , 16.Andrew CIARLA
Substitutes Not Used: 30.Lucas ANDREUCCI (gk)
Yellow Cards: Scott Weidenbach 53-
Red Cards: Nil
