Back in the Newcastle Jets starting XI for the first time this season, 17-year-old Archie Goodwin proceeded to steal the show with two first-half goals against Sydney FC at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday night.
Both he and fellow Jets academy product Lucas Mauragis ran rampant at McDonald Jones Stadium as the Jets held firm in a 2-0 win.
KEEPUP followed along LIVE to bring you all the goals, highlights, up to date scores and biggest talking points from Friday night football in the A-Leagues.
MATCH REPORT: Jets soar in 2-0 win over Sky Blues
REACTION
Football’s ‘atomic connection’: how homegrown talent inspires a community
Watching on as young Archie Goodwin tore Sydney FC apart on Friday night, Paramount+ football analyst Andy Harper was taken back to an afternoon spent at Darling Street Oval, home of Newcastle Olympic in late 2021.
A then-16-year-old Goodwin had just burst onto the scene with the Jets, making a series of starts late in the campaign before scoring a long-range scorcher against Melbourne City.
In the aftermath, Goodwin visited the local Newcastle club. It was there where Harper first felt the buzz, and first heard the excited whispers as the teenager walked around the ground.
This was a local boy living the dream for his hometown club – the effects of which will be felt in Newcastle again in the aftermath of his game-breaking performance on Friday night.
“I was at (Newcastle) Olympic home ground last season, the week Archie scored in his last game – that’s how long ago it was – doing the NPL Youth rounds,” Harper said on the Paramount+ post-match show.
“You should have seen the electricity go around that park when Archie came to watch his brother play and say g’day to the family. The kids were just buzzing, (saying): ‘There’s Archie Goodwin’. He was 16.
“A place like Newcastle is topical at the moment, it’s got so much history in the game, and you can see what it means for them to have one of their own come through. ‘We played with this guy, we went to schoo; with this guy, I sold him sausage sizzles,’ say some of the old-timers, ‘and now he’s representing us on the national stage’.
“This is worth a lot. This is the atomic connection between communities, fans and their players.”
‘I dreamt of it as a kid’: Newcastle local steals the spotlight with brilliant brace for boyhood club
Back in the starting lineup for the first time this season, Goodwin quickly set about making up for lost time.
Before half-time in his first start of 2021/22, Goodwin had two goals on the board. The first was set up by fellow Jets youngster Lucas Mauragis, with a sumptuous lofted cross off the left flank which spun through the air to meet Goodwin’s head at the back post.
The second came from a customary Daniel Penha assist, with Goodwin breaking into the box off the back of Socceroos defender Alex Wilkinson to bury his strike into the bottom-right corner.
Speaking to Paramount+ post-match, the teenage Jets star could hardly believe what occurred through his scintillating 66-minute performance.
“It’s incredible,” Goodwin said. “I’ve dreamt of it as a kid and to score two goals tonight is absolutely incredible, first game of the season.
“Just getting one was a dream, but to get two, it just feels amazing.”
Goodwin made three consecutive starts to end the 2020/21 campaign, scoring one goal and assisting another in a sign of what was to come.
But the 17-year-old suffered from growing pains in the lead-up to the new season, leaving Jets head coach Arthur Papas no choice but to take a cautious approach with his young star through the early stages of the season.
“Definitely mentally was probably the hardest, just because I was wanting to get back on the pitch but I physically couldn’t,” Goodwin said.
“I’ve been training full-on for the last two months, just building back to this type of environment. I was just happy I could get back out on the pitch, and score two goals for my fans and my team.”
Like Goodwin, Mauragis’ end to 2020/21 was mesmeric. But the left-footed winger has also been starved of opportunities throughout the current campaign. Together, both he and Goodwin reminded the league of their undoubted talent in the now, and potential for the future.
“It means a lot,” Mauragis told Paramount+ post-match. “Especially for our season moving forwards, and to really push on to finals now, I think it’s a real possibility.
“It was a great feeling. We haven’t had as much opportunity as we would like, and to get that opportunity tonight and get an assist, and for Archie to score two goals, it was unreal.”
Newcastle’s ‘rare territory’: Back-to-back wins put Jets on path to finals
For the first time this season, the Jets have gone back-to-back.
Two wins, six goals and two clean sheets have sent Papas’ side flying toward the top six; they now sit just three points behind Sydney FC after defeating them on Friday night, holding two games in hand over Steve Corica’s side.
Paramount+ football analyst Andy Harper says the Jets appear back on track, and showing greater consistency after displaying patchy form through the majority of the season.
“Back-to-back wins, this is rare. It’s rare territory for the Jets,” Harper said.
“They’ve promised a lot this year and had some really exciting moments, then fell back. There’s been discussion around the team, with this (and that) not working, some really bad defensive performances in a couple of games, and you think: ‘where’s the season going?’
“They’ve patched it back together, they’ve (scored) six goals in the last two home games to get the fans really cheering, the locals coming in, Archie Goodwin scoring and Mauragis doing really, really well.”
FULL-TIME: NEWCASTLE JETS 2-0 SYDNEY FC
80′: OFFSIDE! Regan scores – but VAR intervenes (2-0)
Jets centre-back Taylor Regan thought he’d scored his first A-Leagues goal since January 2014, heading home a well-worked Jets routine after Matthew Jurman’s header across goal.
Regan ran over to the Newcastle fans to spark passionate scenes of celebration – but by the time the two teams had reset in preparation for play to resume, VAR had found Jurman venturing into an offside position in the build-up to the goal.
66′: Stirring ovation for Mauragis and Goodwin as Jets ring the changes (2-0)
A double substitution from Jets boss Arthur Papas saw Goodwin and Mauragis replaced by Eli Babalj and Dylan Murnane.
The home fans at McDonald Jones Stadium rose to their feet to deliver their young stars a standing ovation.
46′: SECOND HALF UNDERWAY (2-0)
The Jets are two goals to the good at the start of the second half thanks to Goodwin’s quick-fire brace.
42′: GOAL! Goodwin strikes twice in as many minutes (2-0)
It’s Goodwin again for the Jets! This is incredible stuff from the Newcastle local. Just moments after opening the scoring Goodwin was in again, this time found by a magnificent Penha pass to slot his second goal of the night past Heward-Belle.
It’s the Jets’ young brigade stealing the show at McDonald Jones Stadium!
41′: GOAL! Archie Goodwin with the leaping header puts Jets in front (1-0)
In his first start of the season, 17-year-old Goodwin has put the Jets into the lead with a soaring header set up by fellow Jets youngster Lucas Mauragis.
38′: CHANCE! Penha misses golden chance… but Penha’s offside! (0-0)
Olivier Boumal was put in behind the Sydney defence by Brandon Wilson, and his cut-back found Penha near the penalty spot – but the Brazilian’s shot sailed over the crossbar.
In the aftermath, the linesman’s flag was raised with Boumal found to be well offside before receiving Wilson’s through ball.
27′: CHANCE! Ninković almost scores inadvertently (0-0)
An Anthony Caceres shot from outside the box looked set to test Jets keeper Jack Duncan. But the shot struck the body of Miloš Ninković streaming in on goal, dribbling just past the post and out for a goal kick.
The offside flag might have been raised had the ball hit the back of the net.
3′: CHANCE! Mauragis wonder-strike denied by superb Heward-Belle save (0-0)
A lofted Daniel Penha through ball pierced the Sydney FC defensive line, and Lucas Mauragis ventured forward to meet it.
His dinked attempt looked sure to drop into the back of the net before a magnificent save from Thomas Heward-Belle denied the home fans a moment to savour.
1′: KICK-OFF (0-0)
We’re underway at McDonald Jones Stadium!
TEAM NEWS
PRE-MATCH
Two in-form sides collide in Newcastle as the Jets welcome the Sky Blues to McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday night.
Three consecutive wins and clean sheets in all competitions have Sydney FC back in form ahead of this weekend’s set of fixtures – but the Sky Blues travel to face the Jets after a rampant display against Wellington last time out, with four second-half goals punctuating an impressive display.
A COVID-19 outbreak in the Jets camp has left the home side without a number of key players for this evening’s clash. 17-year-old Archie Goodwin leads the line in the absence of Beka Mikeltadze, with midfielder Angus Thurgate also absent.
