The Newcastle Jets have maintained their unbeaten start to the National Youth League with an entertaining 3-2 in over the Melbourne Victory at Adamstown Oval on Sunday afternoon.
The Newcastle Jets have maintained their unbeaten start to the National Youth League with an entertaining 3-2 in over the Melbourne Victory at Adamstown Oval on Sunday afternoon.
Newcastle exploded from the opening whistle taking a 2-0 lead inside the first five minutes. The Victory steadied and fought back to level just five minutes before half-time with two great strikes.
Newcastle regained the lead right on half-time and should have extended their advantage further in the second half but did enough to register their second win in as many matches.
The Jets got off to a great start when they scored in just the 2nd minute of the match. Scott Pettit headed Jesse Pinto’s swinging corner on the edge of the six-yard box only to see it crash against the crossbar. The ball ricocheted back to Jon Griffiths who buried a goal from just three yards out.
The Jets were in again just three minutes later. Melbourne goalkeeper Sebastian Mattei came out of his area to clear a dangerous through ball for the Jets. But his clearance only went as far as Jets midfielder Fabian Iacovelli, who showed great poise to loft a shot from 35 yards out. It bounced in front of goal then into the post and back onto Mattei and ultimately into the goal to make it 2-0 after five minutes.
Newcastle almost had another a few moments later when striker Gavin Forbes headed Pinto-s swinging free-kick just over the crossbar.
A shell-shocked Melbourne outfit eventually started to find their groove and they managed to pull one back on the 20-minute mark when Welsh import Geoff Kellaway fired a sweetly timed volley from the corner of the box into the far top corner of the net.
The Victory continued to press forward and drew level five minutes before half-time when forward James Kalifatidis smashed an amazing shot from 25 yards out that gave Jets goalkeeper Robbie Kolak no chance.
The home side had the last say in the half when Forbes leapt high to meet Pinto-s free-kick to head the ball home just in front of the advancing Mattei to make it 3-2 to Newcastle at the half-time break.
The second half continued in equally entertaining fashion with the Jets having the better of chances and if not for some near misses and desperate defence the Newcastle side could have added another three goals.
The Jets were making plenty of breaks down the right flank and crossing to men in the box but lacked the finishing touch. Mario Simic should have buried the ball when he was gifted the ball just 14 yards out, substitute David Talesvki also fired over from close range while Mattei made a good reflex save from James Virgili at the near post.
Down the other end the Victory had a couple of chances of their own, mostly against the run of play. The best fell to substitute Jason Ricciuti who fashioned a great left foot shot from the edge of the area and appeared to be going into the far top corner, only to scrape past the outside of the post.
Newcastle Jets 3
(Griffiths 2, Iacovelli 5, Forbes 45)
Melbourne Victory 2
(Kellaway 20, Kalifatidis 40)
