Newcastle Jets have scored a stunning win over Melbourne City at AAMI Park, triumphing 1-0 in an Isuzu UTE A-League game that was suspended for more than an hour due to lightning strikes in the area.
With the players called off the pitch in just the 14th minute, Wednesday’s contest eventually restarted an hour-and-four-minutes later and the game sparked into life in the 69th minute; Jets forward Lachie Rose lashing home a ferocious strike to hand the away side the lead with their only shot on target.
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City had several opportunities to have won the game midweek but found an inspired Noah James in the Newcastle goal who walked away with a clean sheet having made eight saves in total.
The win not only moves Newcastle to within six points of the top six but it also sees them extend their unbeaten run to seven matches for the first time in 20 years.
For City, defeat sees their four-match unbeaten run come to and end whilst they also miss out on the chance go move second on the ladder.
Without a win in Melbourne against City for 10 years, the Jets looked to start brightly but before either side could strike, the lightning did.
Leaving the field in just the 14th minute due to lightning strikes within a 10km radius, play was suspended at AAMI Park for more than an hour before the players eventually returned to the field.
When they did though, it was Melbourne City asking the majority of the questions.
Applying plenty of pressure, City midfielder and ex-Jets man Steven Ugarkovic hurdled several challenges before forcing goalkeeper James into a low save and the Newcastle custodian would have a busy end to the first half.
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In the 37th minute a poor pass out from the back by Kosta Grozos went straight to Ugarkovic and the midfielder then teed up Max Caputo, however the young striker’s powerful low shot was well-saved.
A minute later, Jets keeper James was called into action again, this time having his palms stung by a ferocious shot from Socceroo Mat Leckie inside the box.
Level at the break, normal progress resumed in the second-half as James thwarted Caputo once again, this time from close-range as he batted away flicked effort from the young forward.
In a rare foray forward, the Jets almost capitalised on a mistake from Kai Trewin at the back but thankfully for the home side goalkeeper Patrick Beach was on his toes to sweep clear ahead of the advancing Lachie Rose.
Socceroo Leckie will feel as though he could have done better in the 61st minute as he steered a header wide of the far post after connecting with Samuel Souprayen’s driven cross into the box.
The home side’s best chance of the game came in the 66th minute and they would have taken the lead were it not for some miraculous defending.
Battling for a loose ball inside the box, Nathaniel Atkinson came out on top and duly stabbed the ball towards the far corner only to see the retreating Phillip Cancar scramble back on the line to chest the ball away.
But if City thought they’d taken the lead there, a minute later they couldn’t believe the deadlock remained intact.
A brilliant ball into the box from Ugarkovic was met by the head of Trewin, who’s glancing header looked to be flying towards the far bottom corner only for James to tip the ball onto the post; substitute Harry Politidis then somehow put the rebound wide of the target from a yard out.
And in true football fashion, City were then punished.
Racing up the other end following James’ miraculous save, the Jets then took the unlikeliest of leads.
Charging forward down the right, Aquilina picked out the unmarked Rose inside the City box and having spun away from the advancing Trewin, Rose smashed a left-footed effort past Beach and into the back of the net to stun the home crowd at AAMI Park.
Now behind, City threw everything they had at finding a late equaliser but time and time again they were thwarted by a stunning goalkeeping display from James.
Taking aim from the edge of the box, Austrian midfielder Andreas Kuen rifled a powerful effort towards the bottom corner which was tipped round the post by James in the 93rd minute.
