The Newcastle Jets are ready to claim their second major scalp in five days when they host Hyundai A-League front-runners the Brisbane Roar at EnergyAustralia Stadium on Wednesday night.
The Jets produced somewhat of an upset to defeat the second-placed Adelaide United 3-1 last Saturday night and will go into Wednesday night’s clash with the Roar aiming to again claim all three points.
“This team is capable of playing very good football and we will be going for the win,” Jets coach Branko Culina said.
“When you are at home you are expected to push the play and there is no doubt we will be doing that on Wednesday.”
The emphatic win over Adelaide last Saturday night not only lifted Newcastle off the bottom of the Hyundai A-League ladder but Culina believes it could prove the catalyst for turning the Jets’ season around.
“We have said all along if you beat the top teams it sends a strong message not only to the general public but it gives a strong belief about what you are capable of as a team,” he said.
“It not only gives me confidence but it gives all the lads a boost and self-belief that they can go on and do better things.”
“That is the challenge is ahead of us. We have had great results in the past; last year when we beat Gold Coast 1-0 when they were unbeaten, Melbourne Victory with 10 men when we beat them 3-2, but we didn’t quite back it up over the following weeks.”
“So the challenge for us will be to see how we back it up on Wednesday night against Brisbane, who are running hot at the moment.”
In team news, skipper Ljubo Milicevic is expected to play despite suffering a hamstring strain late in the win over the Reds.
The key defender didn’t train on Monday and was restricted to light running on Tuesday afternoon but is expected to start in Wednesday night’s match.
If Milicevic is ruled out local junior Taylor Regan will line up in the centre of the defence alongside Nikolai Topor-Stanley, who Culina said is in the form of his career.
“He (Topor-Stanley) was awesome (against Adelaide). He is another of our players who has grown in stature,” said Culina.
“He took a leadership role against Sydney when the other two leaders were taking a bit of a break and he was awesome. It was good to see him break his duck by scoring a goal the other night. I have never seen anyone leap so high.”
“But as I said he is really maturing as a player and I am very pleased for him.”
