Newcastle Jets came from behind to notch a 3-1 win over Adelaide United at No.2 Sportsground on Sunday afternoon.
The Reds led after 10 minutes through Dylan Holmes but Newcastle acted swiftly to carve out a 2-1 advantage by the 20-minute mark, with Libby Copus-Brown and Natasha Prior finding the back of the net.
Philippines international Sarina Bolden put the Jets out of sight shortly after half-time, scoring her fourth goal in five games to wrap up all three points in a 3-1 victory.
Jets defender Gema Simon came off the bench in the 85th minute to reach the special individual milestone of 150 Liberty A-League appearances.
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Bolden had an early chance to put the Jets ahead, and if not for a superb touch from goalkeeper Annalee Grove the Philippines international would have found the back of the net inside three minutes.
Newcastle threatened from the resulting corner with Emma Dundas striking from the edge of the box, but Grove got down low to parry once again.
Then came two quick-fire goals as Adelaide took a one-goal lead, only for the Jets to equalise just five minutes later. Holmes found the opener for the visitors, latching onto an expertly-placed through ball from Emily Hodgson and rounding outrushing goalkeeper Isobel Nino to tuck the ball into a vacant net.
Lorena Baumann matched Hodgson’s superb assist work shortly after with a lofted through ball placed perfectly into the path of Copus-Brown to touch and finish and bring the hosts back level.
It took Newcastle five minutes to equalise, and another five to take the lead as Natasha Prior got forward to latch onto a Copus-Brown corner and rifle her close-range finish into the roof of the net.
The Jets took just four second-half minutes to pull two goals clear, with Bolden finishing past Grove after a through ball from Lauren Allan played from within her defensive half.
The Adelaide defenders looked towards the touchline for an offside flag on Bolden but the flag stayed down as Bolden steamed toward goal and slotted home Newcastle’s third of the afternoon.
Emily Condon came off the bench for Adelaide and came close to a deficit-halving goal, but Nino produced an outstanding save to preserve her side’s two-goal lead in the 80th minute.
Isabel Hodgson had a chance of her own in the aftermath, with her strike flashing just wide of the left-hand goalpost.
Late opportunities presented down both ends of the pitch but neither side could capitalise as the Jets ran out 3-1 winners.
The moment
In the 85th minute of Newcastle’s win over Adelaide, a former Matilda claimed a place in an exclusive six-player Liberty A-League club.
Gema Simon came off the bench as a late substitute in what was the former Matilda’s 150th Liberty A-League appearance. Only five players had reached that figure prior: Kim Carroll, Michelle Heyman, Teresa Polias, Clare Polkinghorne and Caitlin Cooper.
Former Newcastle player Rhali Dobson spent a significant portion of her career playing alongside Simon at the Jets, and was on commentary duty as the special moment unfolded.
Dobson took the opportunity to sum up the significance of the achievement as Jets captain Cassidy Davis handed Simon the armband for the remaining minutes of her 150th league appearance.
“No one really understands how hard it is to get to 150 games,” Dobson said on Paramount+.
“When the Liberty A-League, or the W-League as it was called, first started there was only eight games in the regular season. One game for semis was the ninth game, and the 10th was the Grand Final. And it was like that for a long time. Now you see, we’ve (got) full home-and-away, we’ve got a lot more games.
“For Gema Simon to make this (milestone), and join such an exclusive club, it is emotional, it is fantastic and good on her.”
What it means
Newcastle’s 3-1 win helped Gary van Egmond’s side up into seventh spot on the Liberty A-League table, and just one point shy of the three sides level on 14 points between fourth and sixth.
The Jets take on Canberra United at home on January 6 in their first game of the New Year.
For Adelaide, Sunday’s defeat ends a two-game winning run. Adrian Stenta’s side have improved of late but failed to climb further up the table, and will end 2023 in 11th place. The Reds take on Melbourne City at home next time out.
