The Newcastle Jets kept their finals hopes alive with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Adelaide United at Jack McLaughlan Oval on Saturday afternoon.
Lady Reds keeper Melissa Barbieri showed her class in just the fourth minute, superbly denying a Tara Andrews header from close range following a driven Angela Salem corner.
Five minutes later she could not deny the Jets their opener, as young gun Elizabeth Copus-Brown header the ball into the path of teammate Tori Huster who drove a volley into the bottom left hand corner from close range.
The home side dominated the remainder of the opening stanza, however could not capitalise despite a number of positive attacks, inspired by Copus-Brown and right back Georgia Yeoman Dale.
Adelaide would have entered the break believing that if they were clinical in the second half then the three points were certainly up for grabs.
After the break both sides battled to score the half’s first goal, which eventually came in the 64th minute. Yeoman-Dale’s persistence paid off as another superb cross fell to the feet of Rhali Dobson who finished the well-worked chance from just a metre out.
Despite their best efforts neither side could add to the score-sheet and the match finished 2-0 to the home team. An Emily van Egmond attempt that cannoned off the right post was the closest either side came to adding the match’s third goal.
The Jets now require a win next weekend away against Sydney, and will be depending on other results to go their way for a finals berth. Today was the last of Adelaide’s twelve season matches, and they will not feature in the 2014 finals after ending the season just out of reach of the top 4.
Newcastle 2 (Huster 9’ Dobson 64’)
Adelaide United 0
Newcastle Jets: 1. Hannah SOUTHWELL (GK), 2. Georgia YEOMAN-DALE 3. Hayley CRAWFORD, 5. Katherine REYNOLDS, 6. Angela SALEM, 7. Victoria HUSTER, 9. Tara ANDREWS (18. Clare WHEELER 80’), 10. Emily VAN EGMOND (c), 11. Rhali DOBSON, 15. Elizabeth COPUS-BROWN (8. Amber NEILSON 65’), 16. Cassidy DAVIS (24. Brooke MILLER 84’).
Substitutes Not Used: 20. Claire COELHO (GK)
Adelaide United: 1. Melissa BARBIERI (GK), 2. Monique IANNELLA, 3. Danielle BROGAN, 7. Katrine PETERSON, 8. Emily CONDON, 9. Lisa MARIE-WOODS, 12. Daila-Tais BORG (11. Isabel HODGSON 46’), 14. Rachel ALONSO (10. Alexandra CHIDIAC 46’), 15. Jenna MCCORMICK, 16. Katie HOLTHAM (17. Tiarn POWELL 74’), 23. Kristy MOORE (c) ,
Substitutes: 20. Sarah WILLACY (GK).
Coach: Ross ALOISI
