Newcastle Jets were at their clinical best on Sunday afternoon, defeating Wellington Phoenix 3-1 at Sky Stadium in what was one of the most entertaining games of the season so far in the Isuzu UTE A-League.
It was a blistering start to the contest on a sunny Sunday afternoon in Wellington, as both sides had a flurry of chances in the opening 20 minutes.
Jets attacker Alex Badolato drilled a low effort wide of the post in just the fifth minute before Corban Piper then forced Jets keeper James Delianov into smart save down low.
Resembling more of a basketball match than a football one, the ball zipped from end-to-end at a ferocious pace with the Jets then seeing two good chances go begging.
Brought on early in the game in place of the injured Max Burgess, winger Eli Adams slashed a shot wide of the target before he was then thwarted from point-blank range as his goal-bound effort was cleared off the line.
Phoenix wing-back Carlo Armiento lashed a vicious shot towards the top corner which was brilliantly saved by Delianov to keep it goalless, while Piper then dragged his shot wide of the target before half-time.
Whilst the game may have been paused for half-time the ferocious nature of the contest didn’t let up after the break and it was the Jets who finally broke the deadlock in the 50th minute; Adams rounding off a tidy team move, as his low shot from inside the box took a deflection before nestling into the back of the net.
Not deterred by going behind, the Phoenix then had a glorious chance to level things up but having pressured Jets keeper Delianov into making a mistake, striker Ifeanyi Eze then couldn’t convert with the goal at his mercy, and it would prove to be oh so costly.
Racing onto a long ball over the top, striker Lachie Rose capitalised on some hesitation by keeper Josh Oluwayemi and the Phoenix shot-stopper was left red-faced as Rose simply rolled the ball into an empty net to make it 2-0.
With the home side still reeling after copping a second, the Jets then bagged their third goal in the space of seven minutes to leave Sky Stadium stunned; Clayton Taylor slotting home Daniel Wilmering’s cut-back to make it 3-0.
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The home fans did eventually have something to cheer for though and their first goal of the afternoon came from a familiar source; Eze leaping highest inside the box to steer home his fourth goal of the season with a brilliant header to make it 3-1.
The away side thought they had their fourth of the afternoon when Adam’s fired a low shot into the far corner, however the assistant referee’s flag was raised for offside and a subsequent VAR check confirmed the decision.
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The result moves Mark Milligan’s Jets up into eighth on the ladder after recording their third win of the season.
As for Wellington, Giancarlo Italiano’s side now sit second bottom of the Isuzu UTE A-league after suffering their fourth loss of the campaign.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
WHAT THEY SAID
Hear what Wellington Phoenix boss Giancarlo Italiano had to say during his post-match press conference.
Hear from victorious Newcastle Jets head coach Mark Milligan, who spoke to reporters after the game.
