After three straight defeats, Newcastle Jets returned to winning ways in style.
Goals from Savvas Siatravanis, Valentino Yuel and Beka Mikeltadze fuelled the Jets and ended Macarthur FC’s hopes of reaching the Isuzu UTE A-League finals on Sunday.
With it, Newcastle also celebrated their first ever victory over the Bulls in the A-League Men.
KEEPUP followed along LIVE to bring you all the goals, highlights, up to date scores and biggest talking points from Sunday’s Isuzu UTE A-League fixture.
The Sunday Agenda
MACARTHUR FC 0-3 NEWCASTLE JETS
MATCH REPORT: JETS SOAR TO END MACARTHUR’S ALM FINALS HOPES
REACTION
The Golden Boot: Who comes out on top?
The race to the finals has been a tense affair, and the sprint to end the season as the A-League Men’s top scorer is no different.
For much of the season, Melbourne City talisman and Socceroos forward Jamie Maclaren has been on track to add another Golden Boot to his collection.
But while Maclaren and City have been on AFC Champions League duties, Newcastle Jets forward Beka Mikeltadze has closed the gap.
After today’s performance, Beka now has 13 goals in 22 appearances – only one shy of leader Maclaren with two matches remaining, while it’s his best league return since scoring 15 times for Dinamo Tbilisi in 2017.
In his first season as a Jet, Beka’s tally is the highest by a Newcastle player since Adam Taggart found the back of the net 16 times in 2013-14.
And the Golden Boot race is going right down to the wire as Maclaren and defending champions City return from ACL duties.
Fighting to win the Premiers Plate, Maclaren’s City close out their regular-season campaign away to lowly Perth Glory on Wednesday and finals-chasing Wellington Phoenix at AAMI Park on May 8.
Beka’s fight for the Golden Boot sees him come up against second-placed Western United on Wednesday and high-flying Central Coast Mariners on Saturday.
Australia Cup driving Jets as Papas deal gives Newcastle ‘huge boost’
There won’t be finals football at McDonald Jones Stadium, but there is still plenty to play for if you’re the Newcastle Jets. Just ask Jason Hoffman.
On the back of Arthur Papas’ contract extension during the week, the Jets came out and soared past Macarthur FC 3-0 on Sunday, eliminating the Bulls from finals contention.
The result snapped a three-game losing streak for Newcastle, who conquered Macarthur for the first time in the ALM.
While ninth-placed Newcastle are not in the top-six race, the Australia Cup (formerly the FFA Cup) is providing fuel for the Jets to end their season on a high.
“Mentally it was a very challenging game for us to be honest,” Hoffman told Paramount+ post-game. “Some people were talking midweek that there wasn’t much to play for, but we believe there’s everything to play for.
“For me personally, when you put on the shirt, you must play with pride every week. Very happy the team could perform the way they did tonight because we want to finish in a position where we don’t have to qualify for the Australia Cup round of 32 play-off match.
“If that’s not enough incentive, I don’t know what is.”
And Papas’ deal, which will run to at least the end of the 2023-24 season, Jets veteran Hoffman added: “It’s a huge boost.
“The playing group believe in the direction we’re heading in. We feel very unfortunate but the table doesn’t lie to miss out on finals.
“To know the boss is locked in for a few more years it certainly will give us a platform to build on for the coming years.”
It has been a frustrating season for the Jets, who’ve shown they can match it with the best in the A-League Men.
Viewed as one of the most entertaining teams in the league, COVID-19 and injuries have hampered Newcastle and Valentino Yuel – one of the goalscorers against Macarthur – bemoaned the team’s inconsistency.
“That’s been the talk of the conversation with the boys. We know we are a very good side. Getting results back-to-back has been hard for us,” Yuel said post-match.
“We showed early on in the season how we can be but it’s been a rough season for us. Very frustrating.
“But this gives us a lot of confidence. We can still come across and give these performances against a very good side.”
Out-of-contract Yuel also said he wants to re-sign with the Jets, adding there are “a lot of reasons” for him to remain in Newcastle.
Juric can’t hide disappointment
If a look could sum up Macarthur’s season, it was Tomi Juric’s face post-game on Sunday.
Juric and the Bulls had their chances against the Jets, but were wasteful as they walked away with a 3-0 defeat on home soil.
It meant Macarthur were removed from the finals picture on the back of three consecutive losses.
For Juric, who came off the bench at half-time and provided an initial spark, the Australia international couldn’t hide his disappointment.
“Since we came back from the break in December we just haven’t been the same,” he told Paramount+ following the costly defeat. “It’s a disappointing way to end our season.”
Macarthur are preparing for life without foundation head coach Ante Milicic, who will move to Europe at the end of the season.
The Bulls had their chances on Sunday, however, it was an all too familiar story at Campbelltown Stadium.
“It’s happened too many times this season and we have to rectify it for the next season,” he said.
Full-time: Jets soar to oust Macarthur from finals contention
Not their day and not their season. Macarthur’s finals hopes and dead and buried after losing 3-0 to Newcastle Jets.
The Jets had plenty to celebrate as they conquered Macarthur for the first time in their history.
As for Beka, the Georgian frontman improved his season tally to 13 goals, just one behind Melbourne City’s Jamie Maclaren.
73′ Goal 0-3: Beka boosts his Golden Boot hopes
The Jets are tearing the Bulls apart, shattering their finals chances in the process.
Beka Mikeltadze gets in on the act for the Jets as he scores his 13th goal of the Isuzu UTE A-League campaign.
The Golden Boot race is heating up, with Beka only one goal shy of leader and Melbourne City star Jamie Maclaren.
66′ Goal 0-2: Jets punish wasteful Bulls
Macarthur can’t say they haven’t had chances in this game, especially to start the second half. However, the Bulls find themselves 2-0 down.
Wasteful in attack, Newcastle go up and double their lead through Valentino Yuel.
After Jordan Elsey’s goal was ruled out, Yuel puts a dagger through Macarthur’s fading finals chances.
62′ Chance: Silvera denied by brilliant Kurto
If not for Kurto, this match could be a lot worse for Macarthur.
Newcastle’s Samuel Silvera breaks the offside trap and bursts through on goal but Kurto produces a fantastic save to keep out the Jets.
It’s still only 1-0, however, the Bulls look suspect in defence.
54′ Chance: Juric fires off a warning
It’s an eventful start to the second half as Ante Milicic turns to Socceroos forward Tomi Juric for an equaliser.
Juric almost makes an immediate impact, unleashing a thunderous effort that strikes the side netting.
Macarthur are applying pressure.
53′ Chance: Don’t try and chip the Jets goalkeeper
The audacity shown here by Macarthur star Craig Noone.
Up against a towering goalkeeper, Noone still tries to chip the ball into the back of the net.
Weier isn’t impressed as he lets the Englishman knows how he feels!
49′ Chance: Kurto thwarts Jets… somehow
Talk about a goal-mouth scramble, but the Bulls survive.
There are boots flying everywhere, with Filipo Kurto in the thick of the action as he puts his body on the line.
More importantly for Macarthur, their goalkeepers keeps out the Jets and the ball.
Will the Bulls stand up?
Macarthur have lost three of their past four games and they’re facing the prospect of a fourth in five matches.
While the Bulls tallied 10 shots in the first half against the Jets, only one was on target.
It has been the story of Macarthur’s season, with their high-profile attack struggling for consistency and goals.
Network 10 pundit Tarek Elrich challenged Macarthur’s attackers to stand up in the second half, with finals football on the line.
“It feels like we’re talking about it every game… the players that this Macarthur team have, especially in that front third, you’d be expecting more return in goals,” he said on Paramount+.
“You’d want these players to stand up. This is the big moment. It’s a big half for them. This is where you need your big boys to stand up, your [Craig] Noone’s and [Ulises] Davila’s.”
Half-time: Newcastle take a lead into the break
The Jets have lost three consecutive games, but they are in the box seat at the interval.
Savvas’ fourth-minute goal is all that separates the two sides at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.
The Jets have never beaten Macarthur in three previous A-League Men meetings.
Macarthur face an uphill task in the second half as they fight to stay alive in the finals race.
Entertaining first half
17′ Chance: Giannou almost equalises
Macarthur have responded well to falling behind and their 12-time Australia international Apostolos Giannou goes close to restoring parity.
Giannou breaks the offside trap and fires a low shot across goal but Jets goalkeeper Michael Weier does extremely well to push the effort around the post.
The Jets are looking nervy defensively.
4′ Goal 0-1: Jets draw first blood
It’s not often you see Newcastle score from a set-piece, but here we are.
Savvas Siatravanis is the man to break the deadlock insight four minutes as he bundles home the opener from a free-kick.
Make that two goals in four games for the Greek attacker.
Opta insight
- Macarthur are unbeaten against Newcastle Jets in A-League Men history, winning two and drawing two of the previous four encounters.
- Macarthur have lost five of their last eight ALM games (W2, D1), including their last two in succession; they have never gone more than two straight games without picking up a competition point in the competition.
- There have been 21 goals scored across Newcastle’s last four ALM games and despite the Jets outscoring their opposition 11-10 across that period they have lost three of those four games (W1).
- The Jets have picked up just a single competition point from their last seven ALM games away from McDonald Jones Stadium (D1, L6) and have been kept goalless in two their last three such fixtures.
- Macarthur have received 56 yellow cards this season in the ALM, a tally that only one club has received more than. They’ve been given four red cards this season by referees across their 24 fixtures, which is the most in the competition.
- Newcastle have scored 41 goals this season, 5.8 more than their Expected Goals figure which is the second-highest positive disparity of any team; it’s the first season in which the Jets have had a positive differential since 2017-18 (+12.3).
- Macarthur star Craig Noone has scored one goal in four of his last five A-League Men games at Campbelltown Stadium, including one in each of his last two.
- Newcastle’s Jason Hoffman has been directly involved in three goals in his last two ALM appearances, scoring one goal and making two assists in that period; he had not been involved in a single goal in his 38 games prior.
Bulls and Jets fighting for fading finals hopes
Newcastle Jets travel to Campbelltown to face Macarthur FC on Sunday afternoon without star midfielder Daniel Penha, who serves a suspension for a straight red card received in a feisty F3 Derby defeat last weekend.
Macarthur, meanwhile are headed toward an off-season of change, with head coach Ante Milicic this week announcing he will depart his role at the club at the end of the campaign.
Whether Milicic’s Bulls tenure ends at the conclusion of the regular season or sometime in the finals will be largely dependent on this weekend’s results; should the Mariners drop points against Western on Saturday, Macarthur can jump back into the top six by overcoming the Jets on Sunday afternoon.
The finals equation is all the more complex for Newcastle, badly damaged by a three-game losing streak heading into the weekend. The Jets need maximum points from their last three games and plenty of other results to go their way to climb from ninth to sixth in time for finals.
