Points shared in enthralling three-all thriller

Canberra United left Newcastle frustrated after blowing two one-goal leads, as the Jets’ Tara Andrews headed home in the final minute of normal time to pick up a valuable point for the home side.

The Jets opened the scoring with a bang in the 7^th minute. Some great build up play between Emily van Egmond, Victoria Huster and Amber Neilson saw Angela Salem free in space 25 metres from the goal, driving a cracking strike past a diving Chantel Jones.

Canberra struck back seven minutes later however, with a low hard cross from the left hand side by Ashleigh Sykes seeing Jets defender Katherine Reynolds knocking the ball into her own net.

A Rhali Dobson miss from eight metres out in the 20^th minute came back to haunt the home side just five minutes later as Michelle Heyman ran onto a Caitlin Munoz through ball, slotting past Hannah Southwell to give the away side a 2-1 lead which they took into the half time break.

The second half’s first goal came in the 68^th minute, with van Egmond finding Dobson unmarked in the box, who blasted a volley into the bottom right hand corner.

Sykes then put Canberra back in the lead in the 87^th minute, however Andrews equalised less than two minutes later, setting up a nail biting final few minutes.

Neither side could break the deadlock, however, and the match finished 3-3.

The result is a boost for both side’s finals hopes and confidence, with just three games left for the Jets, and two for Canberra.

Newcastle Jets 3 (Salem, OG, Dobson, Andrews) 
Canberra United 3 (Heyman, Sykes) 

Newcastle Jets: 1. Hannah SOUTHWELL (GK), 2. Georgia YEOMAN-DALE (Grace MACINTYRE 72’), 3. Hayley CRAWFORD, 5. Katherine REYNOLDS, 6. Angela SALEM, 7. Victoria HUSTER, 8. Amber NEILSON 9. Tara ANDREWS, 10. Emily VAN EGMOND (c), 11. Rhali DOBSON, 16. Cassidy DAVIS.

Substitutes Not Used: 12. Sophie NENADOVIC, 18. Clare WHEELER, 20. Claire COELHO (GK), 24. Brooke MILLER.

Coach: Peter MCGUINNESS

Cautions: NIL

Canberra United: 1. Chantel JONES (GK), 4. Kendall FLETCHER, 5. Grace FIELD, 6. Caitlin MUNOZ, 7. Ellie BRUSH, 11. Michelle HEYMAN, 12. Sally ROJAHN, 13. Nicole BEGG (c), 14. Ashleigh SYKES, 16. Lori LINDSEY, 22. Stephanie OCHS.

Substitutes Not Used: 2. Catherine BROWN, 3. Julia DE ANGELIS, 15. Tegan RIDING, 20. Melissa MAIZELS (GK).

Coach: Elisabeth MIGCHELSEN

Cautions: Kendall Fletcher 43’ Caitlin Munoz 77’