Back to reality! Fury aim to bring Newcastle Jets down to earth with a bump
Saturday 4th December 8:15pm
Dairy Farmers Stadium
Back to reality! Fury aim to bring Newcastle Jets down to earth with a bump after their visitors- Galactic experience last week.
If the first meeting in the Hyundai A-League 2010/11 season between North Queensland Fury and Newcastle Jets seems like it has been a long time coming, that is, of course, because this shouldn-t be their first encounter.
If it weren-t for the EnergyAustralia pitch getting churned up by the Super X, then Jets would have hosted Fury a few weeks ago. Since then, Newcastle-s form has picked up, while Fury have continued to find life tough, so this Saturday beings with it the perfect opportunity for the Tropical Green to drag their opponents back into the mire.
It-s back to reality with a bump for Newcastle Jets. Last week, they were in the glare of the media spotlight, as Mr Beckham and friends rolled into town. The positive publicity surrounding the exhibition game did the Hyundai A-League the world of good but now, as the last of the ticker tape is swept away, the fanfare, the glitz and the attention fades to little but a memory and Jets have to get back to the bread and butter business of trying to get points on the board.
And there can be fewer harsh ways to be dragged back down to earth than a very tricky game against a club that is battling for its life. Last week, Jets supporters looked across the field to see David Beckham-s chiselled face staring back at them, this Saturday, they are greeted by the cream blazer of Franz Straka. It is quite a contrast.
However, the trip to Townsville is certainly one that can bear fruit for Newcastle. Fury have only managed two wins at Dairy Farmers Stadium this season (incidentally their only two wins of the campaign) and, while Jets have yet to get an away victory under their belts, they will hope that their fine recent form will continue and allow them to do just that on Saturday night.
While Fury-s draw against nine-man Perth on Sunday left them with just one win in 13 games, Newcastle go into the game bursting with confidence. A run of games against Adelaide, Brisbane, Wellington and Central Coast would have daunted even the most optimistic of Jets- fantastically loyal followers, so to come away with two wins and two draws from the four matches shows just how well the team is progressing.
Another great sign of the club-s continuing ambition is that they recently bolstered their forward-line yet further by signing former Socceroo Ryan Griffiths to an 18-month deal starting in January 2011.
Griffiths, who currently plays alongside his brother and former Jet Joel for Beijing Guoan is set to take over the Newcastle attack once current striker Francis Jeffers finishes his 10-game guest stint with the club at the end of 2010.
Green Army, this weekend-s opponents might have been hobnobbing it with the rich and famous last week, but now it-s time to remind them of the harsh realities of life in the Hyundai A-League.
Get down to Dairy Farmers Stadium and cheer your team on to a crucial win that will pull Newcastle Jets right back into the mix! Get your ticket today and get ready to be a part of the action on Saturday night!
