A brace from in-form Jets striker Chris Payne has guided Newcastle to a hard-fought 2-1 win over the Melbourne Victory in their Week 7 National Youth League match on Sunday afternoon.
A brace from in-form Jets striker Chris Payne has guided Newcastle to a hard-fought 2-1 win over the Melbourne Victory in their Week 7 National Youth League match on Sunday afternoon.
Payne scored two goals in the space of five minutes early in the second half to give Newcastle a deserved 2-0 lead after they had dominated possession throughout the match.
But the Victory struck just before the hour mark to make it 2-1 via James Jeggo and were the better side in the final half hour and will go home unlucky not to grab a share of the points.
The win sees the mid-table Jets keep pace with top teams while the Victory are still searching for their first point of the season after six matches.
Newcastle went into the fixture fielding a number of A-League regulars with Ben Kantarovski, Ali Abbas and Taylor Regan looking to get some much needed match time and it was the home side who dominated possession but couldn-t quite convert in the final third.
The Jets looked threatening particularly down the right flank where winger James Virgili was giving Victory left back James Riccobene problems with his pace, while Abbas and Payne looked threatening in the middle of the park.
Newcastle midfielder Nick Cowburn saw his low volley from long-range take a deflection off the Victory centre-back Nicholas Ansell and narrowly wide of the far post, while Abbas saw his shot sail wide from the edge of the area.
Newcastle-s best chance of the half came after Pepper and Virgili worked a nice play down the right wing that saw Virgili fire a dangerous cross into the box where David Talesvki launched himself for an audacious volley that looked goal-bound until defender Paulo Retre was able to deflect the shot wide.
The Jets continued to press forward and Talevski did well to beat two players on the left wing before ghosting into the box where he cut the ball back for Payne but the inform striker over-ran the ball and the Victory defence were able to clear.
The visitors almost snatched the opening goal Just before half-time when Christopher Cristaldo pounced on some indecision from the Jets defence and slid the ball off to striker Luke O-Dea in a good position but his low shot was well saved by Jets goalkeeper Jack Duncan and the sides went to the half-time interval locked a 0-0.
The Victory made two changes at half-time with Riccobene and Luc Jeggo replaced by Daniel Chaabani and Damir Lokvancic while the Jets rested Abbas with Kale Bradbery coming on in the number 10 role.
It was a nice piece of individual play from Payne that saw the home side grab the lead just two minutes into the second half. The Jets Number 9 got the ball on the edge of the area and turned one defender before pushing way around a second and firing a low shot into the far corner for a 1-0 lead.
The Victory almost hit back immediately when Melvin Becket stepped his way into the area before hitting the ball with the outside of his right foot to launch a curling shot that just scraped past the far post.
The Jets doubled their advantage in the 52nd minute via a lovely free kick from Payne. The big striker earned the set piece when he was fouled on the edge of the penalty box and he stepped up to send a delightful curling shot around the wall and just inside the far post for a 2-0 lead.
The goal stung the Victory into action and they lifted their intensity to immediate effect when James Jeggo scored after some good work from Cristaldo. The livewire winger got in behind the Jets defence and fired a cross into the box where O-Dea saw his shot parried away by the Jets keeper only for the ball to fall to Jeggo who buried it into the roof of net from 10 metres to make it 2-1 with more than half an hour still to play.
Both sides made more substitutions around the 65-minute mark with Kantarovski replaced by Abe Wheelhouse while Melbourne brought on Hernan Espindola for Cristaldo.
It was the visitors who looked to be coming home stronger with Becket making plenty of inroads with his pace and touch while Lokvancic and Buceto pressed higher to cause the Jets defence some problems.
Melbourne spurned a golden opportunity to grab a share of the points just a few minutes before full-time when Espindola sprinted onto a lovely through ball from Lokvancic and rounded Duncan in goals only to see his shot from an acute angle saved off the line by Taylor Regan. The ball then fell to O-Dea right in front of goal but he ballooned his shot over the crossbar from 10 metres out.
Down the other end Payne went close to grabbing a late hat trick when he unleashed a powerful 20-metre shot that was parried away by Melbourne goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas. Bradbery pounced on the loose ball but skied his shot over the bar as the Jets held on to record their third win of the season.
Newcastle Jets 2
Payne 47-, 52-
Melbourne Victory 1
James Jeggo 56-
