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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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