An injury time goal from Gavin Forbes has seen Newcastle come from behind to defeat an unlucky Perth Glory 2-1 in their National Youth League clash at 6PR Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Having had the better of the first half, the Glory deservedly went ahead through a long-range screamer by Ryan Pearson two minutes after the break.
But a thrilling finish saw Jets substitute Patrick Brown equalise in the 68th minute before Forbes found himself in the right place at the right time to nod home a minute into added time.
The result sees Newcastle climb off the bottom of the National Youth League table, leapfrogging Perth into seventh as the Glory drop to eighth.
Fielding one of their youngest sides of the season, the Glory had the better of the opening exchanges.
Glory forward Stephen Walmsley had a penalty appeal waved away, however, in the 15th minute while speedy youngster Sebit Oyet missed a couple of gettable finishes before the break.
But while the Glory lacked a clinical finish in the opening period, Pearson found his range in the 47th minute as he lined up to take a free kick 25 metres from goal.
The free kick actually rocketed into the Newcastle defender, but the ball ricocheted back to Pearson and sat perfectly for the youngster to volley home an unstoppable shot that gave Jets’ goalkeeper Neil Young no chance.
The goal saw both sides lift their intensity, the match becoming an increasingly end-to-end affair on another hot afternoon in Perth.
In the 53rd minute Jets midfielder Fabian Iacovelli shot wide under pressure while down the other end, Oyet delivered a great cross along the ground from the left three minutes later, only to see no one on hand to convert.
On the hour, a fast break saw Forbes converge on the goal but he was denied by a superb defensive effort from Glory skipper Sam Mitchinson, while the 65th minute saw Perth mount a very promising attack, only for Nicholas Ambrogio to fire directly at Young from 10 metres out.
The missed chance proved costly as the Jets levelled three minutes later after defender Daniel Laiman was fouled 10 metres into his own half.
Laiman struck the free kick long and high and the ball appeared to get caught in the strong easterly blowing down the ground as it flew over the Glory defence to an onside Brown who was lurking at the back, the forward taking possession and firing truly.
The Jets could have gone ahead in the 71st minute but Forbes struck a half chance narrowly wide of the upright from close range before the Glory launched a series of raids on the Jets’ goal, only to Kieran Colwell and Brandon O’Neill fire over.
In the 84th minute, Perth’s impressive right midfielder Sahr Musa delivered an inch perfect cross into the box but the unmarked Colwell couldn’t make connection and the chance went begging.
Four minutes later, the Glory forced a spectacular save from Young as another assist from Musa allowed substitute striker Slobodan Vulin to fire a powerful shot at goal, only to be denied by Young’s acrobatic tip-over.
And in the 91st minute, Young’s efforts proved worthwhile.
There appeared little danger as the Glory’s defence hacked away a clearance from a corner to the centre of the park.
But the ball fell perfectly for midfielder Abe Wheelhouse to float a long-range pass straight back into the box to where Forbes was waiting to nod home the simplest of headers.
There was still time for another Glory attack as Musa found space on the right to deliver to Colwell at the far post.
But once again the impressive Young, back playing football after a long period of injury and illness, forced Colwell to go wide and fire an angled shot adrift of the target as the Jets hung on in a dramatic finish.
Perth Glory 1 (Pearson 47)
Newcastle Jets 2 (Brown 68, Forbes 90)
