A stunner from Sarina Bolden secured the points for Newcastle Jets as they defeated Wellington Phoenix 3-2 at No.2 Sportsground.
The Away side took the lead in just the fourth minute as Marina Speckmaier bagged her seventh goal of the season but the Jets levelled things up on the half-hour mark as Zoe Karipidis scored her first Liberty A-League goal.
Having ended the first half the stronger of the two sides Newcastle then picked up where they left off after the break and took the lead care of a stunning strike from Libby Copus-Brown.
Wellington then dragged themselves back on level terms just six minutes later as Isabel Cox made it 2-2 but it would be the Jets who had the last laugh as Sarina Bolden produced a brilliant curling effort to seal the points and hand head coach Ryan Campbell his first win as a Liberty A-League coach.
Wellington got off to a flyer and took the lead in just the fourth minute through in-form striker Mariana Speckmaier.
Having rolled her marker inside the box the Venezuelan then capitalised on some sloppy Jets defending to net her fourth goal in three matches after good work by teammate Isabel Cox down Wellington’s right-hand side.
The away side were then inches away from doubling their lead in the 13th minute but Zoe McMeeken’s low, driven effort from inside the box crashed back off the foot of the post and away to safety for the Jets.
In for the suspended Rylee Foster, Wellington keeper Brianna Edwards was called into action in the 16th minute, tipping Melinda Barbieri’s whipped free kick around the post.
As the first half continued the home side grew in confidence with Cassidy Davis drilling an effort across the face of goal but striker Sarina Bolden couldn’t stretch to find the finish.
However Bolden was central to Newcastle’s equaliser which arrived in the 33rd minute as the Philippines international tried to get on the end of a deep cross from 18 year old defender Zoe Karipidis and while she couldn’t get a touch, Bolden’s presence distracted keeper Brianna Edwards as the ball crept in at the far post.
With the Jets now full of confidence Edwards was soon forced into producing a save-of-the-season contender, leaping to her right to deny Bolden from point-blank range, preventing a certain goal.
Mariana Speckmaier was then forced from the field due to injury before half-time while the ‘Nix almost took the lead against the run of play but Annalie Longo’s effort was tipped onto the post by goalkeeper Isobel Nino, who had initially given the ball away.
The Jets continued their dominance into the second half and took the lead in the 50th minute through Libby Copus-Brown. Latching on to Sarina Bolden’s neat lay-off from a corner, the 26-year-old unleashed a rocket which kissed the underside of the bar as it flew past Edwards and into the back of the net.
The Jets were then inches away from making it 3-1 just four minutes later but Bolden’s long-range effort smacked back off the post and that proved to be the wake-up call Wellington needed.
Afforded time and space in midfield, Macey Fraser curled an inviting ball in-behind the Newcastle defence and into the path of Isabel Cox, who having outpaced substitute Natasha Prior, cooly rounded the on-rushing Isobel Nino before dispatching the ball into an empty net.
Having had a hand in both goals already Sarina Bolden then got her name on the scoreboard and in stunning fashion. Drifting into space inside the box, Bolden received the ball from Sophie Hoban, took one touch, turned and unleashed a brilliant curling effort across Brianna Edwards and into the far corner to make it 3-2 in the 65th minute.
The away side then had plenty of the ball but couldn’t find an equaliser as Newcastle held on for the win to bring an end to their two-game losing streak while the ‘Nix have now lost their seven games in Australia.
