Paramount+ commentators Simon Hill and Phil Moss summed it up best at the final whistle of a simply breathtaking game at McDonald Jones Stadium, which ended 4-2 in favour of the travelling Mariners on Saturday night.
“An F3 Derby for the ages,” said Hill. “It had everything: goals, VAR controversy, two red cards – one for a player, one for a member of the Jets backroom team – and a stunning, stunning goal by Garang Kuol to finally resolve matters in the favour of the Mariners, who win for the second time here at McDonald Jones Stadium this season.”
Moss added: “The headline is the Mariners are in the top six, but there are so many subplots to this game that we just witnessed.
“It was an absolute privilege to be here and call that. That has put the F3 Derby back on the map in a big, big way.”
It was an F3 Derby played at a tenacious pace, which the Mariners took a stranglehold of with three goals inside the first half-hour.
But the Jets sprung the Mariners after the break, scoring twice in quick succession. The hosts had an equaliser ruled out by VAR, then conceded the sealer to 17-year-old Garang Kuol, who is following his brother Alou’s lead in the A-League Men’s by providing a series of brilliant moments off the Mariners bench this season.
Jets midfielder Daniel Peñha received a red card late in the piece for an elbow on Harrison Steele as the F3 Derby reached its boiling point at McDonald Jones Stadium.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
NEWCASTLE JETS 2-4 CENTRAL COAST MARINERS
MATCH REPORT: MARINERS EDGE JETS IN SIX-GOAL F3 DERBY THRILLER
REACTION
Paramount+ panelists clash on controversial VAR incident
It was one of the key moments in a game brimming with action; amongst the combined six goals came a seventh through Jets substitute Savvas Siatravanis which was ultimately ruled out by referee Ams, via a trip to the pitch-side monitor.
If allowed to stand, the goal would have brought Newcastle level at 3-3. Instead, the Jets ultimately fell to a 4-2 defeat.
The decision to overturn the on-field call came after Archie Goodwin was found to have fouled Kye Rowles with a push in his back in the lead-up to the goal.
THE MOMENT IN QUESTION: Foul, or no foul on Kye Rowles?
In the studio, and in the commentary box, the Paramount+ analysts all came to their own conclusions on the legitimacy of Goodwin’s foul:
PHIL MOSS
“I thought it was the right decision by VAR.
“I think two hands in the back of Kye Rowles did enough to put him off challenging for that ball, and Archie Goodwin got a free head on the ball because of it.”
BRUCE DJITE
“I thought it was soft, I didn’t see a push.
“His hands are there, (but) I think Kye Rowles made a meal of it. He was going that way, and I don’t think he would have gotten the ball in the end.”
ARCHIE THOMPSON
“I think he made a meal of judging the flight of the ball, but the fact was he was still going to try to attempt (the header), and you’ve got to be fair, you’ve put two hands in the back of the player.
“I actually thought he played it really well, Kye Rowles. He misjudged it, but he felt a push in the back.”
FULL-TIME: NEWCASTLE JETS 2-4 CENTRAL COAST
90+5′: RED CARD! Peñha off for stray elbow (2-4)
Daniel Peñha receives his marching orders for a high elbow on Harrison Steele, sparking an all-in confrontation between the two teams.
Injured Mariners striker Matt Simon confronted the Brazilian as he walked down the tunnel as chaos erupted at McDonald Jones Stadium.
90+1 GOAL! Kuol on the slide seals it for Mariners (2-4)
Garang Kuol arrives off the bench to send the travelling Mariners fans into raptures.
“A game of high drama ends with a moment of high, high quality from the 17-year-old,” said Simon on commentary as the drama unfolded, Kuol rushing to the Central Coast faithful after converting on the slide.
83′: NO GOAL! Goodwin foul sees Jets equaliser denied (2-3)
The Jets fans erupted as Savvas Siatravanis put the equalising goal in the back of the net, after Archie Goodwin’s header from a Newcastle corner.
But referee Ams was called over to the pitch-side monitor to assess a potential foul from Goodwin on Kye Rowles, who had two hands in the back of the Central Coast defender before heading on goal.
Ams returned to the scene of the incident, waving away the goal and handing the Mariners the ball, much to the displeasure of the Jets players and their home fans.
62′: SAVE! Duncan to the rescue (2-3)
That could have been the game for the Mariners – but Duncan came up clutch to deny Moresche a brace, and the Mariners a fourth goal.
A deflected Matt Hatch strike fell to Moresche at the back post who slid in to put his shot on target, only for Duncan to show the desperation needed to get across and smother the strike.
51′: OWN GOAL! Farrell puts ball into his own net (2-3)
They couldn’t… could they?
Trailing by three goals to nil at the break, the Jets are now just one goal shy of the Mariners six minutes into the second half, with Farrell attempting to play an Angus Thurgate cross out for a corner but finding the back of his own net instead.
47′: GOAL! Mauragis gives Jets hope (1-3)
Just one minute into the second half, the Jets have found a way back into the game.
Lucas Mauragis wasted no time pegging one back for the hosts, catching Storm Roux napping at the back post as Jason Hoffman’s cross arrived in the six-yard box.
46′: SECOND HALF (0-3)
Riley Warland replaces Jurman for the Jets as the hosts chase a three-goal deficit at home in the second half.
HALF-TIME: JETS 0-3 MARINERS
“The Jets’ season is hanging by a thread,” said Hill on commentary as referee Ams blew the whistle for half-time.
The Mariners frontline was at its clinical best in the first half with Moresche opening the scoring and Cummings adding two more in a fearsome attacking display.
40′: Concerning Jets trend repeats in consecutive games (0-3)
For the second time in as many A-League Men’s games, the Jets are down 3-0 in the first half.
Against Melbourne Victory in midweek the Jets conceded three times in the first 22 minutes; this time out it took the Mariners half an hour to inflict the same amount of pain on the Jets.
34′: PENALTY! Mariners running away with it (0-3)
Béni N’Kololo goes down in the box under the challenge of Matthew Jurman, and referee Ams points to the spot!
Cummings steps up and secures his brace as the Mariners fly out to a 3-0 lead over the Jets.
30′: GOAL! Cummings doubles Mariners lead (0-2)
“The Mariners are 2-0 up and cruising, at the home of their biggest rivals!” Said Paramount+ commentator Simon Hill as Jason Cummings got in on the act, scoring his eighth goal of the season with an unmarked header at the back post from a Mariners corner.
20′: GOAL! Moresche puts Mariners on top (0-1)
Moresche finds the opening goal of the night, getting in behind the Jets defence to meet an ambitious long ball from Dan Hall before goalkeeper Jack Duncan could arrive on the scene.
Moresche’s strike was dinked off the outside of his right boot, rising over Duncan and dropping into the bottom-right corner.
10′: SAVE! Birighitti with the fingertip save (0-0)
Brandon Wilson’s first-time strike off his left peg was a shot out of nothing – but it almost found its way into the top-right corner of goal, only for Birighitti to poke the ball around the post with an outstretched left hand.
7′: SAVE! Birighitti denies Mikeltadze (0-0)
Beka Mikeltadze looked set to notch an early goal with a header off Angus Thurgate’s cross into the box directed toward the bottom-right corner.
Mariners keeper Mark Birighitti got down quickly to his left to palm the ball away from danger.
1′: KICK-OFF (0-0)
We’re underway in Newcastle! And a wet Newcastle at that – i’s pouring at McDonald Jones Stadium as referee Kurt Ams blows the whistle to get the F3 Derby started.
TEAM NEWS
LAST MEETING
Young Jets defender Jacob Farrell scored on debut in a 2-1 win for the Mariners.
KEY STAT
Remarkably, in 54 prior meetings between these two sides, there have been 18 wins to both sides, 18 draws, and 65 goals scored by each team.
