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Newcastle Jets vs Western Sydney Wanderers: A-League live scores, blog

Roar Guru
29th October, 2017
Where: McDonald Jones Stadium
When: 5pm AEDT
TV: Fox Sports
Betting: Newcastle $2.60, Western Sydney $2.50, Draw $3.50
Ben Kantarovski of the Jets celebrates a goal during the A-League Round 2 match between the Newcastle Jets and Perth Glory at McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle, on Sunday, October 15, 2017. (AAP Image/Darren Pateman) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY
Roar Guru
29th October, 2017
84
1465 Reads

Match result:

Newcastle have managed to turn around a rather disappointing first half to come out in the second half and not only steal a draw, but almost take all three points.

» Click here to read the full match report

Final score
Newcastle Jets 1
Western Sydney Wanderers 1

Match preview:

Newcastle Jets return to their home ground for Round 4, and they will be host to Western Sydney Wanderers, who come off a fiery and intense Sydney Derby in the previous round. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 5pm (AEDT).

It will be a somewhat subdued Newcastle team that, while taking the points from their trip to Queensland, paid a high price in losing their star off-season recruit to a horrible ankle injury that had Ernie Merrick distraught in the post-match conference.

Western Sydney, meanwhile, should be facing Newcastle with a huge amount of confidence. They pushed the premier all the way in the derby, though the Wanderers were perhaps lucky to have finished with a draw.

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But they will know that they have goals in them, and the Newcastle defence, while better than in more recent years, has still shown moments of uncertainty, and lapses in concentration. The Wanderers will feel that they have the strike power to expose any Jets deficiencies.

Ernie Merrick will have spoken to his players all week about putting last week behind them, and focussing on the next job at hand.

Newcastle have had their best start to an A-League season ever, and it would be wasteful not to build on that start and make something of this season.

Newcastle may be a bit brighter since Brisbane, with Ernie stating during the week that come finals time, Ronny will be back on deck.

A fit and firing Dimi Petratos (coming off yet another goal of the season contender) slots into the playmaking role for the injured Venezuelan.

For Hayden Foxe, he keeps doing what he’s doing. The results and the performances have been scratchy, and inconsistent, but given the circumstances of how Foxe found himself coaching the side, picking up points of any sort here is still a good outcome.

Prediction
Despite opening the season unbeaten, the pressure is on Newcastle in this home fixture. They have lost their marquee talisman, and they couldn’t finish the job at home in round 2. Now, they face a bogey team whom they have struggled against with unerring regularity.

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Newcastle have a poor record against Western Sydney, with just the solitary win in their last 9 matches. Western Sydney will travel to Newcastle confident off the back of a close derby, and with a point to prove.

Western Sydney 3-2

Join us for live coverage of the match at 5pm (AEDT), and don’t forget to add a comment below.

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