It was straight from the Arthur Papas school of football.
Newcastle Jets were at their scintillating best in a 6-1 drubbing of bottom side Perth Glory in the Isuzu UTE A-League on Sunday.
The Jets put on a show to boost their A-League Men finals hopes, Beka Mikeltadze’s maiden ALM hat-trick and a brace from Daniel Penha delighting the home crowd at McDonald Jones Stadium.
Newcastle have played some brilliant football in Papas’ first season at the helm but the biggest question regarding the Jets during their performance against the Glory was:
“Why don’t we see this every week from them?”
That was the question posed by Network 10 commentator Ben Homer.
There have been reasons for Newcastle’s inconsistency, with COVID-19 and a hectic schedule wreaking havoc.
But based on their display against Perth, albeit a depleted Glory, they are one of, if not, the most entertaining team to watch in the competition.
“They’ve been consistently inconsistent but when they are on, there’s no better team in the competition,” Homer said during the broadcast on Paramount+.
“Maybe bar Melbourne City to watch.”
The Jets are within five points of the top six as they chase finals football in the Hunter Valley.
KEEPUP followed along LIVE to bring you all the goals, highlights, up to date scores and biggest talking points from the Isuzu UTE A-League.
ISUZU UTE A-LEAGUE: NEWCASTLE JETS 6-1 PERTH GLORY
REACTION
Papas proud of response as Jets run rampant
If ever the Newcastle Jets needed to bounce back and make a statement, it was on Sunday and they kept their A-League Men finals chances alive with their 6-1 humbling of Perth Glory.
Newcastle entered the contest at McDonald Jones Stadium without a win in two games – a loss and a draw without finding the back of the net.
But the Jets responded emphatically, crushing basement boys Perth behind Beka Mikeltadze’s hat-trick and Daniel Penha’s double.
Valentino Yuel was also on target in Newcastle’s second largest victory in their history, and biggest win since the club’s 6-1 rout of Brisbane Roar in 2019.
“We used the week to freshen up,” Jets head coach Arthur Papas told Paramount+. “It’s the first time we’ve trained three sessions prior to a game.
“After Brisbane, we had a difficult week with the travel. We didn’t manage it as well as we would’ve liked.
“There’s no questioning the effort and resilience of the group to want to come here today and put on a performance like that.”
It was a memorable outing for Georgian import Beka, who took his tally to 12 goals for the season.
Beka also celebrated his first hat-trick since 2017, when he was playing for Dinamo Tbilisi.
“Beka’s been great. Obviously coming to a new country for the first time and getting used to the league,” said Papas.
“In the end, he got his deserved which is his three goals. He performed well and the whole team contributed to that.”
Along with Beka, Penha was also a standout for the soaring Jets behind his two goals.
Penha was at the heart of everything good about the Jets, who are still in the mix for the finals.
Papas added: “I was pleased with Daniel’s performance. When we played Perth 10 days ago, I don’t think the send off wasn’t really justified. I know he had a point to prove tonight and he did.”
Newcastle midfielder Angus Thurgate, meanwhile, revelled in the result.
“I feel like we’ve been lacking that first goal in the last couple of weeks and once we got it, we got control of the game and really took it from there,” he said.
Thurgate reserved praise for star pair Beka and Penha.
It makes it easy for us. We just win the ball back and give it to them, and know they’ll create something. It was good to watch from behind,” added Thurgate, who is suspended for Newcastle’s next game after collecting another yellow card.
Full-time: Beka hat-trick fuels rampant Jets
The Jets showed no mercy as he heaped further misery on the hapless Glory while boosting their own finals hopes.
Newcastle were in total control from the opening whistle and never took their foot of the pedal.
Beka took home the matchball with his hat-trick, while Penha added a double and Yuel was also on target.
81′ Goal 6-1: Yuel joins the fun in Newcastle
The Jets are feasting on the depleted Glory today and it continues to go from bad to worse for Perth.
Yuel gets his name on the scoresheet as the Jets score six goals in a game for the first time since their 6-1 rout of Brisbane Roar in April 2019.
78′ Goal 5-1: Beka scores a hat-trick
Newcastle quickly restore their four-goal buffer and it’s a memorable moment for Beka.
After Ingham draws a foul inside the penalty area, Beka steps up to convert the penalty for his first A-League Men hat-trick.
It’s also the Georgian’s first hat-trick since November 2017.
69′ Goal 4-1: Bramwell gives Glory something to celebrate
It’s been a nightmare afternoon for the Glory, but they do put the ball in the back of the net.
It’s a well-worked move as Ciaran Bramwell gets ahead of his defender and pokes the ball past Jack Duncan.
50′ Goal 4-0: The Penha show continues
The Jets continue where they left off five minutes into the second half.
Penha is on hand to fire home the rebound and bag his second of the match as the Jets make light work of the Glory.
It’s the first time Penha has scored twice in a game in his professional career.
Half-time: Jets purring in the Hunter
What a half of football that was if you’re a Jets fan.
Newcastle dominated from the outset, creating chances and making the most of their opportunities.
The Jets lead 3-0 but it could even be more.
“It’s good to be back home and playing in front of the home fans. We’re on the front foot and we’re going for goals,” Brandon Wilson told Paramount+ at half-time.
“We’re at home, we’re on the front foot constantly. We don’t want to take the foot off the pedal so hopefully a couple of more goals in the second half.”
37′ Goal 3-0: Jets ‘putting on a show’ as Beka bags a brace
Newcastle have completely outclassed a struggling and depleted Perth on home soil.
It’s another brilliant team goal, which will please head coach Arthur Papas.
Some excellent play on the flank leads to Beka scoring on the half-volley from Dane Ingham’s cross eight minutes before half-time.
“Some great football and no surprises to see Penha and Mikeltadze right at the heart of it,” said Network 10/Paramount+ co-commentator Phil Moss.
31′ Goal 2-0: Beka back on the scoresheet
Perth are fading and fading fast in the Hunter Valley as Newcastle move 2-0 ahead.
The Glory are exposed defensively, with Beka Mikeltadze pouncing to tuck his ball beyond Reddy for his 10th goal of the season. Seven of his 10 goals have been at home.
Barely half an hour has been played and Perth face a mountain to climb.
20′ Goal 1-0: Who else but Penha?
This is the kind of football Arthur Papas wants his Jets side to play.
In a must-win game for Newcastle, they unlock Perth’s defence thanks to Savvas Siatravanis’ pass to unleash Valentino Yuel.
Yuel then drives towards the penalty area from the flank and picks out Penha, who slots the ball coolly past Liam Reddy.
13′ Glory debutant lucky to avoid red card
Talk about trying to make your mark on a match.
Perth’s 19-year-old debutant Jayden Gorman takes out Penha with a crunching challenge in the middle of the field.
The referee brandishes a yellow card and it stays that colour, despite a VAR review and calls for a red.
6′ Penha’s peach of a pass
Daniel Penha has been a revelation for the Jets since arriving from Brazil.
He has tallied 10 assists this season – the most of any player in the competition; the last time any player made more in a single season was Leroy George in 2017-18 (14).
Penha showcases his quality once more with this incredible cross-field pass to pick out a Newcastle team-mate.
It doesn’t lead to a goal but it’s a warning for the Glory.
Opta insight
- Perth Glory have lost only one of their last 11 A-League Men games against the Newcastle Jets (W6, D4); although, their last three meetings have all ended in a draw.
- The Jets are undefeated in their last three ALM games against Perth at McDonald Jones Stadium (W1, D2); although, they’ve not kept a clean sheet at the venue against the Glory since a nil-all draw in October 2013.
- Newcastle’s next clean sheet in the ALM will be their 100th in the competition; they have kept a clean sheet in three of their last four games in the competition and three in their last four ALM games at McDonald Jones Stadium.
- Perth are winless in their last 11 ALM games (D3, L8); the last and only previous time they went longer without a win in the competition was an 18-game stretch from December 2006 to November 2007 (D9, L9).
- The Jets have made more shots (31) and scored more goals (five) after passing sequences of 10 passes or more this season than any other team in the competition.
- Perth have scored 11 goals away from home this ALM season, 3.3 higher than their Expected Goals (7.7) in that time; only Melbourne City (+ eight) have outperformed their xG by more away from home this campaign.
- Jets star Daniel Penha has made 10 assists this season, the most of any player in the competition; the last time any player made more in a single season was Leroy George in 2017-18 (14).
- Perth’s Cameron Cook has an 81% save percentage in the 2021-22 ALM campaign, the highest of any goalkeeper to have played more than a single game this season.
Finals-chasing Jets seeking to kick-start season
Two disappointing results on the trot have stopped Newcastle’s momentum – a home clash against the Glory could prove the perfect tonic.
Perth coach Zadkovich has put an emphasis on youth in his short time at the helm. His side face up to the Jets for the second time in three games, after a 0-0 draw at HBF Park in which Jets creator Daniel Penha earned a late red card for a stray elbow on Glory attacker Giordano Colli.
