Nikolai Topor-Stanley’s wonder goal stole the show as Newcastle Jets upset Perth Glory but head coach Carl Robinson is equally impressed with the veteran stopper’s defending.
The 34-year-old unleashed a 30-yard rocket to open the scoring in the 12th minute as the Jets halted the Premiers’ 10-match unbeaten run in a surprise 2-1 win at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday.
Roy O’Donovan grabbed a 74th-minute winner, after Neil Kilkenny equalised for Glory from the penalty spot in the 29th minute, as Newcastle closed the gap on the Hyundai A-League’s top six to eight points.
The scorching strike, that will no doubt be towards the top of the Goal of the Season conversation, set the home side on their way in the Hunter but Robinson revealed he is far more interested in Topor-Stanley’s performance at the other end of the pitch.
“I’ve actually not said well done to him yet because I think everyone else is giving him the plaudits he deserves – it was a super strike,” said Robinson.
“I’ve not seen a goal like that for a good, long while – certainly not from a centre-back.
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“But great strike and sometimes in football you have to put your hand up when a strike goes in or a goal is scored, and I’m sure Perth will do that because it was an unbelievable goal.
“Pleased for him, but his job is to defend and he defended very well so that’s what I’m pleased with.”
The Jets take their strong form, after going five-matches unbeaten, into the bye week ahead of a match against Adelaide United in Round 23.
And Welsh coach Robinson admits he will not celebrating the victory for long as his mind immediately turns to how he can use the week’s training to implement his philosophy in the Hunter.
“I just come in there and one of the guys said to me ‘well done coach, you don’t seem happy’,” Robinson added.
“And I said ‘it’s three points, that’s all it is, and you have to move on’.
“I’m thinking about two weeks time and how to improve from the couple of weeks we’ve been here.
“I’ve sensed improvement. There’s certainly been some key contributors that have increased their level of performance and I’m pleased for them.”
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Tony Popovic coached Topor-Stanley for four years at Western Sydney Wanderers and the Glory boss admits he had never seen the veteran defender score a lot like it.
“We had a couple of very good chances prior to Nikolai [Topor-Stanley] ’s goal – it’s a wonderful goal,” Popovic said.
“I’ve coached Nikolai – I’m not sure he ever did that even in training.
“It’s a great goal and well done to him and that strike.
“We responded very well because we just continued to play the way we were playing prior to the goal, which is very pleasing.
“We got the reward with the penalty. We probably should have made more of more opportunities we had after the equaliser.
“And that’s where we’ve let ourselves down. We should have been in front clearly and we weren’t.”
SUNDAY PREVIEW: Western United v Central Coast Mariners
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Round 22
Perth Glory Melbourne City
Sunday, 8 March
HBF Park
Kick off: 3pm local, 6pm AEDT
Newcastle Jets have a bye week
