Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC both experienced the perfect start to 2023, notching convincing wins over Macarthur FC an Newcastle Jets respectively on Sunday afternoon.
KEEPUP followed along LIVE to bring you all the goals, highlights, up to date scores and biggest talking points from the Isuzu Ute A-League on New Year’s Day.
‘If you’ve got NPL kids defending like that from a throw-in, you take them off’
Paramount+ co-commentator Andy Harper has slammed Newcastle Jets co-captain Carl Jenkinson for failing to set the defensive standard in a moment of poor work rate which led to Sydney FC’s game-breaking goal in a 2-0 Jets loss at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Jets came into the home clash buoyed by a 1-0 win on the road against Adelaide United in Round 9; it was their first clean sheet display of the season, a result which sent Arthur Papas’ side into the top six and toward Round 10 with genuine momentum.
That momentum came to a screeching halt thanks to a lacklustre display against the out-of-form Sky Blues on New Year’s Day, in which Robert Mak’s result-sealing goal came off the back of a poor piece of Jets defending typified by Jenkinson’s lack of hustle to close the Slovak down before striking.
Mak received the opportunity to score with the Jets caught napping by a Diego Caballo throw-in, with Anthony Caceres driving down the byline to find Mak all alone in the penalty area. The move began with Jenkinson keeping close company with Mak, but the experienced defender lacked the energy to follow his marker into the penalty area.
Mak then took possession, cut around Angus Thurgate and sliced a shot off the outside of his right foot into the back of the net.
MATCH REPORT: CORICA HAILS RODWELL AS ‘A BIG DIFFERENCE’ AS SKY BLUES NOTCH FIRST CLEAN SHEET OF SEASON
It was Sydney’s second goal in four minutes to end the first half leading 2-0 – a half the Jets dominated early doors.
“Look at Carl Jenkinson here, the number 25,” Harper said on the Paramount+ post-game show. “He’s the captain… (former) English international, English Premier League experience.
If you’ve got NPL kids defending like that from a throw in, you take them off.
“There he is, just on the edge of the box, he’s got the front (position) on Mak, and then what? Clock-off time. How do you stay in a game, how do you stay in the competition when senior players are dishing up that?
“Great finish from Mak, so celebrate the good quality, but quite frankly Tara – it’s just not good enough. Fans turn up to watch their team and cheer them on in the new year, and that’s what the captain delivers?
“You’ve scored one goal in four games up to this point – and that one goal was a deflection from Jaushua Sotirio last week, not to take away from the resilience they showed to get that result (1-0 win over Adelaide) but that’s four games, one goal, and you’re defending your own goal like that.
“It’s just not good enough, I’m sorry. The video is not going to be good, it hasn’t been kind to Carl Jenkinson, and during the week with Arthur Papas it’s just going to be unforgiving.”
THE NEW YEAR’S DAY AGENDA
A-LEAGUE MEN: Western Sydney Wanderers 4-0 Macarthur FC
REPORT: WANDERERS DISMANTLE BULLS IN STATEMENT WIN IN THE WEST
A-LEAGUE MEN: Newcastle Jets 0-2 Sydney FC
MATCH REPORT: CORICA HAILS RODWELL AS ‘A BIG DIFFERENCE’ AS SKY BLUES NOTCH FIRST CLEAN SHEET OF SEASON
A-LEAGUE WOMEN: Perth Glory 2-3 Western United
REPORT: WESTERN GO EQUAL TOP AFTER LOGARZO-INSPIRED COMEBACK IN FIVE-GOAL GLORY THRILLER
MATCHDAY BLOG
