The Newcastle Jets have moved into second spot on the Westfield W-League ladder with a hard-fought 2-1 win over a determined Adelaide United in their Round 8 clash at Wanderers Oval, Newcastle on Sunday afternoon.
Adelaide held the advantage of play in the first half and took the lead in the 23rd minute via a Victoria Balomenos penalty. Newcastle leveled against the run of play in the 36th minute courtesy of a spectacular strike from defender Rebecca Smith to send the sides to the half-time break locked at 1-1.
The Jets took control of the match in the second half with midfielder Amber Neilson scoring the winner with a sublime shot in the 79th minute.
The win sees Newcastle maintain its charge towards the finals, while the Reds remain near the bottom of the table but would have been pleased with their performance after suffering a 6-0 loss last start.
“It was quite even and very competitive, which is what we wanted after last week,” Adelaide coach Mike Barnett said after the match.
“We changed our shape a little bit and it seemed to have the desired affected and it was only going to be a special goal that separated the teams.”
The visitors started the match with a gale at their backs but it was the Jets who had the best of the early opportunities.
Matildas striker Katie Gill had a free-kick saved in the fifth minute before Joanne Peters saw her long-range speculator sail just wide of the target soon after.
Adelaide worked its way back into the match and earned a penalty in the 22nd minute that brought about the opening goal.
A Reds corner saw Jets defender Rebecca Smith barrel Adelaide skipper Dianne Alagich and referee Lee Corey had no hesitation pointing to the spot.
Striker Victoria Balomenos stepped up to take the penalty only to see it bunted away by a fantastic diving save from Jets goalkeeper Alison Logue.
However, Jets midfielder Amber Neilson had encroached into the area, earning a yellow card and gifting Adelaide another penalty opportunity.
Balomenos made no mistake with her second chance drilling her shot low into the corner of the net to put the Reds ahead 1-0.
Adelaide continued to attack and almost doubled its advantage via Sandra Scalzi.
Some enterprising play in the midfield released the Reds winger and her curling shot from the right-hand edge of the penalty box looked goal-bound except for a spectacular fingertip save from Logue.
Newcastle levelled against the run of play in the 36th minute.
Gill led an attack that saw the Reds defence clear the ball just outside the penalty area where Swedish import Sanna Frostevall unleashed a vicious 20-metre volley into the corner of the net.
Adelaide finished off the half full of running with Balomenos and Stephanie Tokich having decent shots but couldn’t convert to see the sides go to the sheds locked at 1-1.
The Jets came out firing in the second half and produced a number of goal-scoring chances.
Peters forced a good low save from Adelaide keeper Sian McLaren while Emily van Egmond was denied by the woodwork after a good strike from the edge of the area.
Down the other end the Reds continued to attack with substitute Donna Cockayne making inroads but the introduction of Matildas legend Cheryl Salisbury in the 62nd minute steeled the Newcastle defence.
The Jets eventually profited from their territorial advantage with a good team goal in the 79th minute.
Gill took the ball into the Adelaide half before dishing off to Stacey Day, who in turn found van Egmond free on the right flank.
She took the ball into the area before laying off to Neilson on the edge of the area, who curled a lovely left-foot shot high into the right corner of the net.
Adelaide veteran Sharon Black, who came on for Balomenos in the 81st minute, had a chance to level the scores with a 25-metre free kick just before the final whistle.
But Logue was up to the challenge, scooping up the shot and securing all three points for Newcastle.
“It is pretty exciting now to jump back up to second,” Jets skipper Joanne Peters said after the match.
“That’s what you want to do when you are at home, score some good goals like we did today.”
“We are playing with plenty of consistency and depth. We kept our shape well and created a number of attacking opportunities so we feel are looking good for the semis.”
Match Deatils
Newcastle Jets 2 (Sanna Frostevall 35-, Amber Neilson 81-)
Adelaide United 1 (Victoria Balomenos (pen) 19-)
Wanderers Oval, Newcastle
Sunday 14 December 2008
Referee: Lee Corey
Assistant Referees: Tanya de Boer, Penny Nash
Fourth Official: Tim McGilchrist
Newcastle Jets line-up: 1.Alison LOGUE (gk), 6.Amber NEILSON, 7.Gema SIMON, 10.Joanne PETERS (c), 11.Stacey DAY (9.Rhali DOBSON 87-), 12.Katie GILL, 14.Nicole JONES (3.Samantha WOOD 71-), 15.Emily VAN EGMOND, 16.Kirstyn PEARCE (5.Cheryl SALISBURY 63-), 18.Rebecca SMITH, 19.Sanna FROSTEVALL
Substitutes not used: 20.Gemma O-TOLLE (gk)
Yellow cards: Amber Neilson 18-, Cheryl Salisbury 71-
Red Cards: Nil
Adelaide United line-up: Sian McLAREN (gk), 2.Renee HARRISON, 4.Dianne ALAGICH (c), 6.Kristyn SWAFFER, 7.Racheal QUIGLEY (5.Angela FINMANO 87-), 8.Sandra SCALZI, 9.Stephanie TOKICH (14.Donna COCKAYNE 60-), 10.Victoria BALOMENOS (11.Sharon Black 84-), 12.Tanya HARRISON, 16.Leanne SLATER, 17.April MANN
Substitutes not used: 1.Emma WIRKUS (gk)
Yellow cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
