Preview: Newcastle Jets v North Queensland Fury

Double the drama! After Saturday’s battle in Townsville, Newcastle and Fury go at it all over again

Newcastle Jets v North Queensland Fury
Tuesday 8th January 7:30pm

Double the drama! After Saturday-s battle in Townsville, Newcastle and Fury go at it all over again in this Tuesday night showdown.

Jets v Fury games are like buses. You wait for ages for one to come along, and then two turn up at once. Actually, it was vehicles of another kind that caused this unique double header. The fixture was originally scheduled to take place in October but had to be postponed after the SuperX event left the EnergyAustralia pitch unplayable.

And so an already hectic schedule for Jets and Fury becomes yet more so. While that might not please Branko Culina or Franz Straka, whose squads have been stretched and depleted in all manner of ways this season, you won-t hear supporters of the two sides complaining – this Tuesday treat is quite the bonus to fans who live and breathe football.

The players are sure to fired up for this encounter as well. With bruises from Saturday-s battle still fresh, cuts still sensitive, muscles still sore, there will inevitably be scores to settle and unfinished individual business to take care of. Rarely has a grudge match come around so quickly! Expect this one to be a firebomb of a game from the very first minute.

Jets go into the match in the knowledge that hey have a 100 percent win record in the two previous meetings between the teams at EnergyAustralia Stadium. Following a 2-0 triumph in the first ever clash between the sides in November 2009, the two teams were involved in a five-goal Christmas cracker the following month.

After Jets raced into a two-goal lead, Dyron Daal-s double in the second-half brought Fury level and they seemed set to secure a decent and unlikely away point until Sasha Petrovski-s late winner broke their hearts and sent them tumbling forlornly to the foot of the ladder.

The spirit Fury showed in pulling themselves up from the bottom of the league last season in order to secure a seventh place finish will serve them well in this campaign. It-s this kind of spirit that Jets need to be wary of as they strive for three points. No matter where they lie in the ladder, no matter what current form is, no matter what is going on behind the scenes, this North Queensland side is always capable of pulling off a result.

It-s part two of a four-day Jets and Fury odyssey and it is set to represent the combination of full-blooded commitment, sheer quality and high drama that you have come to expect from the Hyundai A-League. Show your support, it-s going to be a belter!

Click here for the rematch in Newcastle