The Newcastle Jets have climbed into the top four of the Westfield W-League with a strong 4-1 win over the Perth Glory in their round five match at Wanderers Oval, Newcastle on Sunday afternoon.
Perth took the lead early when Marianna Tabian slotted home in the sixth minute, but the Jets asserted their strength with goals to Kirstyn Pearce, Katie Gill and Nicole Jones to hold a 3-1 lead at the break.
Perth attacked with venom to open the second half but Newcastle held firm and sealed the deserved victory when midfielder Amber Neilson scored from the penalty spot in the second half to make it 4-1 and hand the Jets their second win of the season.
Newcastle skipper Nicole Jones, who was standing in for the injured Cheryl Salisbury, said the victory has given the team some momentum as the competition nears the halfway point.
“That was the fifth game when we gone behind early, but to come back from a goal down was a great effort,” she said.
“The confidence is pretty high and next week’s match against the Mariners will be a huge one for us.”
Perth got off to the ideal start when Samantha Kerr weaved her way into the Newcastle penalty area before squaring to Tabian, who poked home from close range to give the visitors the lead after just six minutes.
The Jets worked their way back into the match and were on level terms in the 17th minute courtesy of Pearce’s dangerous cross from the right hand edge of the box that beat everyone and ended up in the back of the net.
Newcastle took the lead just six minutes later when Matildas striker Gill showed her aerial strength to head home a short corner after a period of sustained pressure from the hosts.
The momentum continued to go the way of the Jets and they could have had a third goal in the 26th minute when Gill broke through only to see her shot cleared off the line by Perth defender Emily Dunn.
But the Jets got their goal from the ensuing corner when Jones headed in at the near post to make it 3-1 after 27 minutes.
Emily van Egmond should have made it four just before half-time when Joanne Peters worked her way into the box and crossed to the unmarked van Egmond, who ballooned her shot over the crossbar from 15 yards out to leave the score 3-1 to the home side at the break.
Perth came out after the break with renewed enthusiasm and mounted a concerted assault on the Newcastle goal.
Elisa D’Ovidio, who came on for Shannon May, showed some spark up front, while Collette McCallum forced a good save from Jets goalkeeper Alison Logue with a curling free kick.
But Newcastle weathered the storm and wrestled back control of the match through strong work in the midfield and excellent attack from Gill.
It was the star striker who forced the fourth goal when she worked her way into the box before sliding a ball to Sanna Frostevall, who was brought down as she tried to shoot.
Neilson stepped up to slot home from the spot to make it 4-1 in the 76th minute.
The win sees Newcastle climb up to equal third with Canberra and Adelaide on the ladder while Perth remains rooted to the bottom of the table.
Match Details
Newcastle Jets 4 (Kirstyn Pearce 17-, Katie Gill 24-, Nicole Jones 27-, Amber Neilson 76-)
Perth Glory 1 (Marianna Tabain 6-)
Wanderers Oval, Newcastle
Sunday 23 November 2008
Referee: Kate Jacewicz
Assistant Referees: Liz Shorter, Penny Nash
Fourth Official: Kirralee Gardener
Newcastle Jets line-up: 1.Alison LOGUE (gk), 6.Amber NEILSON, 7.Gema SIMON, 10.Joanne PETERS, 11.Stacey DAY, 12.Katie GILL, 14.Nicole JONES, 15.Emily VAN EGMOND (3.Samantha WOOD 45- (9.Rhali DOBSON 78-)), 16.Kirstyn PEARCE (4.Elizabeth SHARPE 80-), 18.Rebecca SMITH, 19.Sanna FROSTEVALL
Substitutes not used: Nil
Yellow cards: Katie Gill 37-, Stacey Day 37-, Kirstyn Pearce 54-, Amber Neilson 70-, Sanna Frostevall 87-
Red Cards: Nil
Perth Glory line-up: 20.Maya DIEDERICHSEN (gk), 2.Stacey LEARMONT, 3.Carys HAWKINS, 4.Sam KERR, 5.Shannon MAY (13.Elisa D-OVIDIO 61-), 8.Tanya OXTOBY (c), 10.Ella MASTRANTONIO, 11.Lisa DE VANNA (7.Ciara CONWAY 34-), 14.Collette McCALLUM, 17.Marianna TABAIN, 19.Emily DUNN (12.Dani CALAUTTI 29-)
Substitutes not used: 6.Katarina JUKIC (gk)
Yellow cards: Ella Mastrantonio 48-
Red Cards: Nil
