Newcastle coach Gary van Egmond says it was a relief for the club to win their first away game in over a year, especially when the breakthrough came against defending Hyundai A-League champions Brisbane.
Newcastle coach Gary van Egmond says it was a relief for the club to win their first away game in over a year, especially when the breakthrough came against defending Hyundai A-League champions Brisbane.
The Jets, whose last taste of road-trip victory came on January 8 last year against the now defunct North Queensland victory, turned in a spirited team performance to defend their way to victory after taking the lead through Jobe Wheelhouse in the 23rd minute of their Saturday clash.
The result drove Newcastle from ninth into seventh over night, and ensured the outfit would take confidence into a deserved eight-day break, after trooping through three matches in the last eight.
“To win away from home, and to do it against Brisbane especially, it’s very pleasing,” said van Egmond.
“It’s also pleasing the way they carried out the instructions onto the park, the ability to retain possession at stages in the first half and then in the second half the amount of grit they showed.”
The victory, Newcastle’s seventh in 10 starts at Suncorp Stadium, is unlikely to go down in anyone’s memory bank as visually appealing exhibition of the game.
But van Egmond wasn’t going to apologise for his side’s ultra-defensive strategy after taking the lead, despite claiming in the post-match press conference that the Roar’s style of offense-orientated play was still the example for A-League club’s to aspire to.
“We played Wednesday and obviously it was going to be tough to back up. We knew that, and hence that’s the way we played tactically, as far as counter-attacking football tonight,” he said.
“We knew it was going to be a tough spot, especially in that second half, but you have to be extremely disciplined and we were.”
“We still have to get better in regards to how we control the game. If we look at the way Brisbane play, they are still the bench mark in how you should be looking to play.”
“There are tactics that can spoil that and it’s not necessarily that you come out with the points. we’ve played much better than that this year and came away with nothing from it.”
“(But) To come away with a clean sheet against Brisbane is no mean feat. we’re happy we get the three points, we’re happy that we didn’t concede and we’re looking forward to Sydney next week.”
