Victory the assist kings as Opta numbers illustrate Jets issues

Ola Toivonen might trail by two in the Golden Boot race but Melbourne Victory does boast a duopoly atop the Hyundai A-League assist tally.

Kevin Muscat’s men are the most prolific team in the competition and, even in the absence of Keisuke Honda, boast two creators at the peak of their powers.

James Troisi leads the competition with six assists while team-mate Terry Antonis has registered five, a handy return alongside his four goals.

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Sydney FC are the only other team in the competition to boast multiple players with at least four assists apiece, Milos Ninkovic and Brandon O’Neill each having teed up that many.

No surprise, then, that it’s the two Victory midfielders who have been at the heart of the competition’s most profitable partnerships.

Three of new recruit Toivonen’s nine goals have come courtesy of Antonis, the same number playmaker Troisi has supplied for the in-form Kosta Barbarouses.

But not all clubs are enjoying the same kind of fluid connection in the front third.

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Jets squandering Petratos pipeline

Newcastle Jets have drifted 10 points off the Finals Series places in large part due to a misfiring attack that has produced the fewest goals of all 10 clubs including F3 Derby rivals and Wednesday’s opponents Central Coast Mariners.

That’s despite the best efforts of Dimitri Petratos, who has created 48 scoring chances this term – four more than Adelaide United talisman Craig Goodwin.

Petratos, a two-time Australia international, has again proved a danger from set pieces, creating a league-high 27 chances over dead balls.

But the Jets have struggled to convert and their profligacy is particularly apparent given Ronny Vargas has served up a competition-best 30 chances from open play.

Those account for 100% of all the opportunities the Venezuelan has created and is the kind of service Ernie Merrick’s men must maximise if they are to see off the Mariners at McDonald Jones Stadium.

MATCH PREVIEW: Newcastle Jets v Central Coast Mariners

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