Kennedy lifts Jets to eliminate Gold Coast
By AAP, 21 Feb 2010 AAP is a Roar Pro
Newcastle goalkeeper Ben Kennedy produced a sensational performance to lift the Newcastle Jets to victory on penalties in the A-League elimination semi-final against Gold Coast at Skilled Park on Saturday night.
Kennedy capped his match-winning effort by saving the 14th shot of the penalty shootout taken by United’s Zenon Caravella to give the Jets victory 6-5 on penalties after scores were locked 0-0 after extra time.
Kennedy had saved the Jets’ bacon at least four times during regulation time with his sharp reflexes, then produced three more pearlers in the first period of extra time, one off the feet of substitute James Brown, the second and third off an unmarked Shane Smeltz.
Then came the most telling piece of defensive importance as he stopped Caravella’s shot with one hand in front of an all-time A-League finals low attendance of just 4109.
The shootout had gone goal for goal until Jin-Hyung Song hit his shot over the bar followed incredibly by the same result for Gold Coast’s Kristian Rees.
But the end came when the namesake of former Newcastle Knights enforcer made his telling stop.
The Jets will now face the winner of Sunday’s elimination playoff between Wellington Phoenix and Perth Glory.
The match ended the bold debut season of Gold Coast United.
It also shattered the audacious dream of the club’s billionaire owner Clive Palmer who, pre-season, bullishly boasted the newcomers could win the title and be unbeaten to boot.
But a third placing in the championship for the fledgling club gave promise of much better things ahead under Palmer’s massive funding.
The previous lowest crowd for a final was last season when Adelaide and the Queensland Roar (now Brisbane) drew 8472 at Hindmarsh Stadium.
Jets coach Branko Culina acknowledged Kennedy’s performance in putting them a step further towards the title.
“This man here had a super game,” said Culina, before adding, tongue in cheek: “But he only made up for the rest of his year. Seriously he was superb.”
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Luke W said | February 21st 2010 @ 6:51am | Report comment
Definitely not the best match on the eye of all time, but as a Jets fan I was literally on the edge of my seat for the last hour of this match. Kennedy made numerous great saves, Jets had some good chances, but in the end both teams were simply too tired to take advantage of any opportunities. I was crushed when Song missed, laughing when Rees missed and jumping for joy when Kennedy made the Schwarzer-esque save!
Daniel King said | February 21st 2010 @ 6:59am | Report comment
Well for all their bravado and confidence Gold Coast fall at the first hurdle. Think they can only blame themselves, the amount of chances they had was considerable and of Kennedy played a corker!
Now i have to put up with NRL and AFL fans belittling the A-league because Gold Coast people don’t turn out to support their team even in the finals…. 4,109 is a disgrace, shame Gold Coast shame, that is worse than the regular season.
AndyRoo said | February 21st 2010 @ 7:57am | Report comment
Like most of the FFA’s mistakes though it was easy too see this coming a mile of.
I said before that $30 for the cheapest ticket wouldn’t work for this match.
Al said | February 21st 2010 @ 10:48am | Report comment
Exactly, but the bigger mistake was putting a team on the graveyard coast to begin with.
Australian Football said | February 21st 2010 @ 11:13am | Report comment
Al,
that’s a rubbish statement—-GCU was a rushed into the HAL and will win in the end. They have a marvellous stadium—-perfect for watching football with a billionaire backer. The players have been paid and will be never be left short of funds to compete—-with a better promotion set to engaging grass root football next season it will succeed. Clive will be determined to see GCU FC play in the ACL. That is what this is all about.
~~~~~~
AF
Al said | February 21st 2010 @ 2:30pm | Report comment
I hope you’re right. The “graveyard” comment was in reference to the many other sporting teams that have failed in the Gold Coast.
There seems to be a hardcore support numbering around three to four thousand but not much else, I hope that gets turned around and that the issues with ticketing prices etc. get sorted out for next season.
Sam el Perro said | February 21st 2010 @ 11:36am | Report comment
Why a mistake? And why do you call the Coast a graveyard? It isn’t the 1980s any more. Drive through Ormeau, Varsity Lakes, Coomera. There are a LOT of young families on the Coast. GCU could do well to start tapping into the potential fanbase instead of alienating it with bravado.
Sammy22 said | February 21st 2010 @ 8:19am | Report comment
Well Daniel I was one of the supporters who decided not to go last night when the FFA increased ticket prices which meant a fair extra cost to us.
Watched on Foxtel and pay for that each month and they support the football.
Very pleased with the confidence GC went into the season rather than pussy footing around at least they were honest. Yes we had our chances and stuffed them up, but hey we created our chances many others didin’t
I like many others mentally committed to buying blocks of tickets for the opening home game against Roar, as soon as FFA moved the game to brisbane all those commitments lost and so was the ongoing trust. Suggest you have confidence in yourself and the game, look a bit deeper into whats going on and when those big bad NRL and AFL fans tease you about numbers remember, its all they got
Here’s hoping FFA organise things a bit better next year
MV Dave said | February 21st 2010 @ 8:39am | Report comment
Well done NJs a real upset on the opening weekend of the finals…not a great game but one GCU had enough chances to win. Exciting PKs and what a turn around for young Ben Kennedy…from zero (early season bloopers) to hero…what sport is all about.
GCU certainly have their work cut out for them if they want to be successful off the field. Seems they have 4,000 core supporters and will need to double that in the next year or two to remain viable. GC is obviously a difficult market to break into as the other codes have found so there should have been no doubt it would take some time.
Midfielder said | February 21st 2010 @ 7:26am | Report comment
I can hear a song coming on..
“Fold Coast are leaving on a jet plans, don’t know when they will be back again”"”
Australian Football said | February 21st 2010 @ 8:04am | Report comment
Midfielder the GCU will be flying high next season with beautiful football—-whilst the Chop-Chop-Manglers (CCM) will never get to fly in a plane ever again for an ACL match. Now that G. Arnold is in charge and Lawrie McKinna who has set their hoof, run and foul Football philosophy in stone.
A special thank you to Clive Palmer and the Gold Coast United FC organisation for bringing football to the Gold Coast where there has never been any before. My family thoroughly enjoyed the season and we’ll be back.
~~~~~~~
AF
Daniel King said | February 21st 2010 @ 8:14am | Report comment
Midfielder
To be honest i agree with you, just can’t see a team with that level of support surviving. Either they get more people through the turnstiles or the franchise up sticks to somewhere they will be appreciated.
No disrespect to the supporters that have turned up, in fact big respect. Nothing worse than an empty stadium.
AndyRoo said | February 21st 2010 @ 10:54am | Report comment
They should move to a more appropriate venue. Crowds like the ODI and MV vs SFC this week were much bigger than those at the swans pre season match at Blacktown, but Blacktown only holds 10k and it looked packed and great on TV. The type of event that you wanted to go too.
Skilled park looked awful unless they were showing the beach, it effects the match, their were some neat passages of play and I honestly think if that was played in front of a full house (even in a 5k stadium) it would have been considered a really good match.
Sam el Perro said | February 21st 2010 @ 11:38am | Report comment
There is nowhere else of an appropriate standard on the Coast, however.
AndyRoo said | February 22nd 2010 @ 8:31am | Report comment
The could play at any local park Sam with their crowds. Put in some toilets and some temporary stands in exchange for free rent and they could charge half as much for tickets but make twice as much from match day.
Better atmosphere too… it may even garner them some fans. Play the QLD derbies and the first match of the season at Skilled.
Midfielder said | February 21st 2010 @ 9:58pm | Report comment
Fold need to look to their marketing arm.. if they had any sense they would join as they where invited by the GC RL team… Searle (CEO of the Titians) offer Fold all sorts of cross promotional help to which Fat Tony said fuck off..
Fold have become the new Flying Circus … everything going for them except their management…
Sorry AF they just need people other than Side Show Bob and Fat Tony with their faces in the paper …
Fold Leaving on a Jet Plane
Don’t Know if they will be back again
O babe they drive and cry a lot.
Australian Football said | February 22nd 2010 @ 9:13am | Report comment
Chop-Chop-Manglers will be gone before the GCU FC—West Sydney will make sure of that and good riddance––and down the yellow brick road they will go “We’re off the see the wizard––with the wonderful wizardry of G. Arnold. Gooood-bye Lawrie ye ol’ laddie… sob.
jimbo said | February 21st 2010 @ 10:30pm | Report comment
Apart from the nine losses, GCU went through the season undefeated as predicted by Clive – well done to Gold Coast in their first season in the A-League and looking forward to a bigger year next season.
Speaking of which, the next A-League season is only 4 or 5 months away now and after yet another Socceroos appearance in a World Cup – doesn’t get any better than this does it.
Mister Football said | February 21st 2010 @ 11:21pm | Report comment
Gold Coast had one foot in the next final, just had to convert the final spot kick after Song had blown the 5th kick for the Jets.
And who do you reckon rocked up to take it?
Rees.
Seriously, the task of nailing it was given to Rees.
I mean, you’d almost think that the Gold Coast weren’t interested in progressing.
Blokes like Thwaite certainly treated it all like a bit of a joke, certainly not like a final that had to be won, that was worth winning.
AndyRoo said | February 22nd 2010 @ 8:29am | Report comment
Rees did score a well taken brace in a game this year so I was surprised just how bad his penalty was.
I started going for GCU because they have the team that has a great chance of winning the lot and I think they would do well in the ACL but by the end I was firmly in the Newcastle camp. Would have been a tradgedy if they hosted another final.
Daniel King said | February 22nd 2010 @ 11:33am | Report comment
It’s actually people that put there hand up to take the penalty rather than given the task, by the 6th pen all your good penalty takers are gone (ask any Englishman, me included), Rees was brave enough when others were too scared. Respect to him.
Australian Football said | February 22nd 2010 @ 12:50pm | Report comment
Daniel King,
When Rees step up I thought we were home. As a senior player with an outstanding season you thought you could put your house on it that he would score. But that’s indeed football like when Viduka missed his penalty against Uruguay and Badgio in the 98 world cup. Just one of those things in Football it was not meant to be.. Thankfully in Viduka’s case it did not matter.
Realfootball said | February 22nd 2010 @ 9:15am | Report comment
That was a very depressing game to attend. I can’t imagine what will entice me to Skilled Park again, particularly now that Miron says he is coaching again.
Before anyone can accuse me of lacking commitment, can I say that I attended every GCU home game this season.
Enough is enough. The complete rejection of this club and the men who lead it was in bold typed capitals all over that empty stadium on Saturday night. And now Bleiberg says he is staying on as coach. Miron, you are a major part of the problem. You and Culina, who aimed such a spray at Porter on Saturday night that Porter actually approached the bench and protested his captains behaviour to Bleiberg. Culina is a wonderful player but as a captain of this club he is a disaster.
But then again, the whole club is a disaster. The community clearly does not want it, and it is damaging the A League. I do not believe for a moment that there were 4000 people there on Saturday. I think the figure was inflated to dodge posting the A League’s record low. I believe on experience in that stadium that there were not much more than 3000 people present.
If the FFA were going to be rational about this they would wind up the franchise, and convince Palmer to roll his investment i into Brisbane to create one properly funded south east QLD club.
AndyRoo said | February 22nd 2010 @ 9:37am | Report comment
I normally agree with everything you write but not the last paragraph
Brisbane is an important club to the A league, I don’t want Palmer anywhere near it. I would even prefer FFA control, in fact non private ownership would be good but I guess they wan’t private backers to keep losing their money until Suncorp either offer a better deal for the summer tennancy or say “take it or leave it”.
Australian Football said | February 22nd 2010 @ 10:33am | Report comment
AndyRoo,
good–I want Clive Plamer to stay and back the GCU FC. He at least is an owner with balls and deep pockets. I am quite happy how the club is progressing all the players are paid up and happy to stay. We just need to rid ourselves of Miller and Porter and get two better younger players to tow the lnie. Review the ticket prices to help the club. The beach kids have work hard behind the goal and they deserve a Football club.
Australian Football said | February 22nd 2010 @ 9:46am | Report comment
RealFootball,
Do you mean Porter’s attempt of a shot from half way? You must be kidding me? We in the stands were just as vocal as Culina was and that was a disgraceful reaction by Porter––he has let the team and his colleagues down too many times––as Culina ran into an attacking position only to see it fly over to the corner post.. Really that was pub football.
RealFootball, if you intend to follow the ROAR next year PLEASE take Porter with you!
AndyRoo said | February 22nd 2010 @ 10:15am | Report comment
Thanks for Porter AF.
We will convert him from an isolated forward abandoned by Mirens 1 man midfield (at least it seems like that) to a sneaky attacking midfielder and play him in front of our all action midfield. It’s a unique concept Ange has come up with called “balance” (trademark pending). Obviously Miren (who likes to play Miller and Porter together) isn’t a fan yet, I hope for your sake Paul Okon cottons on to it!
Miller did have a good game though…. must not have his contract for next year yet.
Realfootball said | February 22nd 2010 @ 10:18am | Report comment
Andy, Miron has just announced that he has changed his mind and will not step down for Okon.
A disaster. Bleiberg has a dead albertross around his neck.
AndyRoo said | February 22nd 2010 @ 10:25am | Report comment
It’s less than 48 hours after they were knocked by penalty shoot out. I think that’s a time where you make unbinding statements to avoid fatalism. I think they will be looking for a new coach over the season as Miren moves upstairs.
Punter said | February 22nd 2010 @ 10:47am | Report comment
The crowd at Gold Coast was terrible. The Beach though ware making alot of noise, so that is a positive.
Miron needs to move upstairs, allow them to get a new marquee coach from O/S.
Both Perth & Newcastle should do the same, Oh Nth Queensland as well.
Australian Football said | February 22nd 2010 @ 11:08am | Report comment
AndyRoo,
thanks again—take Porter and Miller (granted Miller’s rear good performance last Saturday) the two are the laziest footballers at the club. They have zero work-rate and as always it’s up to Culina and Caravella to work like mules to cover for their lack of off the ball running. Miller has nice touches but lacks the mobility to cover the ground as well as Porter. The two on the field together at the same time is disastrous and hinders the team’s performance.
Realfootball said | February 22nd 2010 @ 10:16am | Report comment
No, AF, it was a botched through ball. I agree that Porter has been a major disappointment this season, and his distribution is particularly poor, but red faced abuse is not going to do anyone any good, and I was very close to the exchange. I understand Culina’s frustration, but he has serious attitude problem.
Australian Football said | February 22nd 2010 @ 10:43am | Report comment
Realfootball,
If that was a through ball, even Pharr Lap wouldn’t have reached it. Geez I thought it was a shot for the goal looking for a deflection from the corner post… It was horrendous what ever it was.
Australian Football said | February 22nd 2010 @ 10:01am | Report comment
AndyRoo,
good–I want Clive Plamer to stay and back the GCU FC. He at least is an owner with balls and deep pockets. I am quite happy how the club is progressing––all the players are paid up and happy to stay. We just need to rid ourselves of Miller and Porter and get two better younger players to tow the line with a serious review of the ticket prices to help the club. The beach kids have work hard behind the goal and they deserve a Great Football Club. And they will get it next year.
~~~~~
AF
Realfootball said | February 22nd 2010 @ 10:22am | Report comment
Happy with progress AF??? GCU has been moving backwards with the speed of a politician reneging on an election promise.
Palmer will need deep pockets, but I am unsure as to how long he will keep his hands in them. He doesn’t like bad investments and right now GCU is a very, very bad investment by any objective criteria. One thing he must do, an imperative, is get rid of Bleiberg. Okon isn’t the answer. GCU needs a coach of stature to restore credibility. Bleiberg simply does not have what it takes to coach at this level.
Australian Football said | February 22nd 2010 @ 10:51am | Report comment
RealFootball,
they finished third in their first year and lost on a penalty shootout.. It’s the Roar that are going backwards.
Realfootball said | February 22nd 2010 @ 11:21am | Report comment
Its all relative AF. In terms of statements, ambitions, and how they started the season, GCU have been on a downhill slide certainly since the halfway mark. They only finished third because of the points accumulated in the first third of the season. Since then they have lost to damn near everyone, including the Fury twice.
Right now the club is quite literally an embarrassment to the A League. 4000 (more like 3000) to the club’s first final. Paint it how you like AF, that is beyond a joke. In fact, its not funny at all. It is flat out humiliating for the club and for the A League.
Australian Football said | February 22nd 2010 @ 12:29pm | Report comment
RealFootball
I disagree they had set backs like all teams but started to finish well after the Phoenix massive loss regained their composure and started to fire up again. You have to put the season in its context and it was successful on the park where it counts most.
After five years and if the crowds remain 4k then you will have an argument–but certainly not yet. The weather has been atrocious for close on two weeks and where we usually park was still flooded. Not forgetting it poured cats and dogs on the morning of the day and threaten to do so all night.
Now after not seeing professional football going on to 16 years I am happy we finally have some here where I live.. I am more than happy with the team’s progress.
Australian Football said | February 22nd 2010 @ 12:32pm | Report comment
btw they beat my other team (SFC) 3 zip the Premiers—did you forget that?
Towser said | February 22nd 2010 @ 10:48am | Report comment
Now I dont have the answers to to making a Gold Coast A-League team a success & in reality I dont think anybody else has either.
But you can make observations & several points have been raised already.
One -it has been a graveyard for sporting teams.
Two- 3 of those have been Rugby League clubs. The present one is acheiving its present success due to long term planning ,knowing the failure of the other 3. RL has had during my 30 years of living in the state,.consistent saturation media coverage.
Three- football has received sweet FA in comparison,but in Brisbane theres always been a strong undercurrent of support,both locally at a playing level & from a spectator perspective ,overseas football.
To be frank never noticed football on the Gold Coast full stop. Usually to me as an ex pom , it was a substitute for Blackpool.
However I did notice North Qld & that it must have some football credibility ,by the amount of quality Australian players produced there. Frank Farina,Corica,Thwaite,Shroj,Wehrman,Minniecon etc.
Tell me the quality Gold Coast players that immediately jump to mind. In fact if anybody has followed football in Australia over the last 40 years or longer tell me anything about football that you can relate to on the Gold Coast.
So is it really Clive & Mirons fault due to lack of community connection or the high ticket prices & stadium capping debacle. Is it due to lack of football nous at admin level. Personally I dont think so. Why?Because GCU pinched a large part of the media & communications personnel from the Roar. They jumped ship. On a personnel level I knew that the bloke from the Roar was doing a good job up to season 3 in getting the message of the Roar across to the good folk of SEQ(after that as we know a different story with well documented reasons for the demise of BRFC).
So then is it in reality too early for the itinerant population of the Gold Coast?
Just as initially it was to early for the RL teams?
I would say a large majority of new settlers on the gold coast are from Qld or NSW who have always followed the various versions of the NRL. Traditional football fans on the Gold Coast are more than likely to be ex pats. Blackpool in England as holiday town has never been a big sport supporting town in comparison to say close by neighbours Bolton Preston Burnley in Lancashire with silmilar sized populations(ie Bloomfield rd’s capacity is still only 10,000).
Just a few thoughts anyway. So maybe just maybe on the Gold Coast until the A-League & football generally reaches the same mind penetration level as RL it will be a struggle given that thers no real history of traditional support iin any area of the game. That also includes the much touted 8000 juniors,which is about half of the Sutherland Shires. Furthermore I could guarantee that those juniors in the Shire have a far longer historical connection to football than those from the likes of Robina.
Realfootball said | February 22nd 2010 @ 11:23am | Report comment
Sound observations, Towser. I wonder how long a club can exist pulling just 4 k to games?
Towser said | February 22nd 2010 @ 12:57pm | Report comment
Under current circumstances as long as Clive is prepared to put his hand in his pocket.
That will also depend on success & in particular earning a spot in the ACL,given that this was the reason Clive Palmer got involved in the first place.
My thoughts are that given his latest massive potential business deal with China, he wont cop out yet.
If thats the case he needs decent football advice,because Miron wont cut the mustard long term.
Recruiting players like Culina means recruiting a coach with an International pedigree if you want to get the best out of them. Miron is a clown according to Craig Moore. I agree.
Clive because of his lack of football nous is being taken to the cleaners by Miron the Mouth.
Given the number of ex pats on the Coast from everywhere, they need a real marquee an International football name.
Clive has the dough.
So if Clive stays he’ll need to reach into his pockets a lot more to build on the 4000 faithful currently . Anything less & he should stick to mining.
Australian Football said | February 22nd 2010 @ 1:28pm | Report comment
Towser,
I have never met Clive Palmer, but I’m sure of one thing about the man he won’t accept defeat readily and will be there for the long haul––to see GCU into the ACL. So which you are correct of your assessment that is indeed his aim––I hope it works for him and for the GCU FC. Also the club is owned by his company––I read some where he personally does not hold any directorship of sought in GCU FC, so the losses that are incurred will be a tax relief I guess, and with his last big China deal merely petty cash, where the GCU FC are concern. The ultimate rewards will be huge when he takes the team to the ACL in China. (Who really knows but Clive?)
Australian Football said | February 22nd 2010 @ 11:21am | Report comment
Towser,
spot on with the history of the Football culture of the Gold Coast Rugby League had three attempt and AFL will have had their third go as well.. Very early days yet for GCU FC but it will grow and we will need Clive Palmer for at least 5 yrs to back them. I hope he stays for ever to secure their future on the Gold Coast.