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.
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Final score
Newcastle Jets 1
Western Sydney Wanderers 1
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.
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.
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
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Kangajets
Guest
Thanks karlo I think today shows the jets are realistic chance this season as are west Sydney no doubt
perry cox
Roar Guru
Full Time Newcastle 1 Western Sydney 1 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. After the Wanderers opened the scoring through Newcastle hero Mark Bridge, Wanderers took charge of the game, and dictated terms. Newcastle were slow at best, out of the contest at worst, but at only 1-nil down, Ernie Merrick had something to work with with his half time talk. Wanderers once again started the stronger in the second, with Jumpei looking dangerous at every instance. A huge turning point occurred though, when the Wanderers lost their starting midfield pairing of Herd and Bachus, as Aspropotamitis and Sotorio just didn't offer the same steel in the middle. Petratos stepped up and took charge, while Joey Champness came on for Brown, and lit up the park. The connection of Champness, O'Donovan and Petratos will give Ernie Merrick food for thought, as the Jets equalised, and suddenly pressed for the win. Nabbout was also again sublim on the left, offering options on the other side of the park. But the first home win for the season for Newcastle (and, indeed, this calendar year) was not to be. A 1-all draw possibly the fair result, though Wanderers will feel they've let a win slip. The Jets will ask why they were so slow for the majority of the game, but otherwise, both teams head into round 5 one of the last four teams yet to lose. Hardly a classic, but a great contest nonetheless, these teams should figure at the pointy end of the season.
perry cox
Roar Guru
96′ Newcastle 1 Wanderers 1 Referee looks at his watch, and that's it. Well, that was a game of two halves. Quite Dickensian: the best of times, the worst of times, for both teams.
perry cox
Roar Guru
95′ Newcastle 1 Wanderers 1 And a corner from Petratos is cleared, but as the ball comes back in ... the Jets are offside. That should do it I reckon.
perry cox
Roar Guru
94′ Newcastle 1 Wanderers 1 Another Champness run sees a Petratos cross go out for a corner. This is it!
perry cox
Roar Guru
93′ Newcastle 1 Wanderers 1 Jets are pushing. Jumpei looks like the only Wanderer with energy. That right wing is creating havoc from Newcastle, as a cross from Hoffman into O'Donovan sees him glance a header, and it just goes wide.
perry cox
Roar Guru
91′ Newcastle 1 Wanderers 1 Five minutes of stoppage time. Hoffman finally earns a yellow card for his treatment of Jumpei. It's been coming.
perry cox
Roar Guru
89′ Newcastle 1 Wanderers 1 And all that lead up play from Newcastle results in a shot from Champness from range, and a charging O'Donovan can't get his foot on the scraps. That was great play by the home team. Champness may be earning a start next week.
perry cox
Roar Guru
89′ Newcastle 1 Wanderers 1 Now Wanderers in position, but throw away possession. Hayden Foxe is animated, while Jets try to clear back up for another raid. Hoffman runs into the middle and links with Shabow. Nabbout has it on the left wing.
Kangajets
Guest
The carney penalty is a given
perry cox
Roar Guru
87′ Newcastle 1 Wanderers 1 Jets keep peppering, and Champness chases through. Jets looking surprisingly the more likely, and stronger in defence. What would have been possible with 90 minutes of this?
perry cox
Roar Guru
Four minutes and stoppage time for somebody to step up and make their mark. but who will it be?
perry cox
Roar Guru
85′ Newcastle 1 Wanderers 1 And Champness is looking class, as he weaves into the area, and gets the ball cut back into the six yard box. Shabow is thereabouts, but the Wanderers show strength through Aspro, and clear. That was close. David Carney would have gotten a penalty there I reckon.
perry cox
Roar Guru
83′ Newcastle 1 Wanderers 1 SUBS: Shabow on, Ugarkovic off. Home debut for Shabow, a former Wanderer.
perry cox
Roar Guru
82′ Newcastle 1 Wanderers 1 Nabbout gets the nutmeg on Bonevacia, and is taken out with barely his ankle in tact. Bonevacia will earn a yellow for that. Crass stuff.
perry cox
Roar Guru
81′ Newcastle 1 Wanderers 1 Brendan Santalab looks on wistfully from the bench. No game for him today, as Wanderers break. They'll have a corner.
perry cox
Roar Guru
80′ Newcastle 1 Wanderers 1 Aspro gets a yellow for time wasting. We've got ten to go.
perry cox
Roar Guru
79′ Newcastle 1 Wanderers 1 SUBS: Sotirio on, Cejudo off. Sotirio likes to score against Newcastle, look out. Nabbout again gets the ball in the area, but solid intervention from Janjetzvic, who intercepts the ball.
perry cox
Roar Guru
78′ Newcastle 1 Wanderers 1 And Nabbout with a tame shot, but a nice first touch, from a Petratos cross. The game plan for Newcastle is clear: upon them upon the right, cross in to the left, knock it into the middle, finish. They are just missing that last touch.
perry cox
Roar Guru
76′ Newcastle 1 Wanderers 1 Wanderers are slowing things down, trying to sort themselves out here. Jets are very much winning the midfield battle now, and opening up the play for them on the right flank. And a Petratos cross to the back post sees Nabbout unselfishly head back for O'Donovan, but it floats over his head for a goal kick. Jets are firing now.