Angus Thurgate has produced a stunning winner in wild conditions to propel Newcastle to a 2-1 home win over Brisbane and off the bottom of the A-League Men ladder.
Thurgate drilled a shot from just outside the penalty area in the 70th minute to earn Newcastle’s second win of the season, as players battled with driving rain and heavy winds at McDonald Jones Stadium on Thursday night.
It was just the Jets’ third win in their last 17 home league games and the result lifted them three places to ninth, dropping the Roar one spot to tenth.
The woodwork favoured Newcastle and foiled Brisbane in the first half.
The hosts’ opening goal came in fortuitous circumstances as a 22nd minute shot from Savvas Siatravanis was tipped onto the post by Brisbane goalkeeper Macklin Freke, only for the ball to rebound off the back of the shot stopper’s left hand.
Brisbane missed a glorious opportunity to equalise on 37 minutes when a Jay O’Shea penalty came back off the post and rolled away from goal.
The spot kick was awarded by referee Jonathan Barreiro after the VAR called him over to look at a replay, which showed Thurgate had fouled Nikola Mileusnic.
Brisbane’s equaliser also had a touch of luck about it as their Argentinian halftime substitute Juan Lescano’s 64th-minute shot deflected off Jordan Elsey.
The Jets had already dropped eight points from winning positions this season and they showed increased intent in the six minutes between losing their lead and winning it back.
Siatravanis had a shot saved, and dangerous Brazilian Daniel Penha had another effort blocked, with the Jets also earning a couple of corners
Brisbane didn’t create many chances in the final 20 minutes, though O’Shea headed over the bar in the 85th.
Jets’ coach Arthur Papastamatis said it had been one of their most dominant performances and described Brisbane as the most complete team they had played.
“They get back in the game deservedly and then we have a great response as well,” Papastamatis said
“I’m just proud of the boys.”
Newcastle had created most of the good first half opportunities with Freke blocking an early close range shot from Oliver Boumal with his legs and then pushing away another attempt from Penha.
Even before the equaliser, Brisbane started the second half with greater urgency than the home team, with Lescano putting a header wide and Mileusnic just off target with a curling shot.
“We spoke at halftime about how we could get some control, press them a little bit higher in the second half,” Roar coach Warren Moon said.
“We certainly created enough chances, I’m not sure how we’ve ended up losing that game,” added Moon, who lamented poor defending from the setpiece that led to Thurgate’s winner
