Western Sydney Wanderers FC
1
Match Complete
Newcastle Jets
5
| M. Duke |  | 69' | ||
| 59' | | R. O'Donovan | ||
| 54' |  | R. Vargas | ||
| 49' | | M. Ridenton | ||
| 47' | | R. O'Donovan | ||
| 22' | | J. Hoffman | ||
| 18' | | D. Petratos |
| 19 | Shots | 19 | ||
| 7 | On Target | 9 | ||
| 15 | Fouls | 8 | ||
| 9 | Corners | 5 | ||
| 3 | Offsides | 1 | ||
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 | ||
| 0 | Yellow Cards | 1 |
The not-yet-relegation battles continue on Friday nights in 2019, as the Western Sydney Wanderers are back at home taking on the Newcastle Jets, in Round 17 of the A-League at ANZ Stadium at 7:50pm (AEST). Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match.
Wanderers’ coach Markus Babbel has seen a lot in his career as a player and manager. Most notably he was on the pitch with Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final when Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored in injury time to arrest the cup for Manchester United.
But it was last week’s Wanderers result against Brisbane that finally has entitled him to say “I’ve seen it all”.
Only keeper Vedren Janjetovic can know what was going through his head when he at the last second, for no earthly reason, decided to clumsily keep a certain goal-kick in play and then nudging it out for a Brisbane corner.
Sure enough, Adam Taggart soared over his opponents to nod in the equaliser with the last touch of the game to continue Babbel and the Wanderers torment.
This week teammates, and the coach himself to an extent, have supported Janjetovic – pointing out that their poor final 30 minutes of play allowed Brisbane to get a head of steam up and get back into the game.
Indeed, Babbel may genuinely be heartened by the Wanderers first half where they dominated the Roar through the attacking quartet of Bonevacia, Riera, Yeboah and Kamau.
But this week Markus Babbel may also have looked at the recent management form of his tormentor in 1999, Solskjaer, and wondered when it will be his turn for some good luck.
The Wanderers have lost every game in 2019 and have found heartbreaking and laughable ways to give up leads.
There is some good news at selection. Water carrier Keanu Baccus returns from suspension, while Kwame Yeboah – a second-half casualty in the Roar draw – seems to have survived his injury scare to line-up this week.
Socceroo Josh Risdon also returns to the squad, although given his injury with the national team it’s unclear what involvement he will have in this game.
Newcastle is also able to field a full strength team, with key players Ronnie Vargas and Dimi Petratos both cleared of injury.
Veteran Ben Kantarovski returns to the team to stiffen the midfield, while talented youngsters Nick Cowburn and Johnny Koutroumbis also return to add depth to the Jets wide spaces.
The Jets have been the biggest disappointment of this A-League season, sitting well adrift of the finals in seventh, 11 points off wisth with largely the same grand final losing squad.
Last week they were beaten comfortably by ladder leaders Perth Glory to underline how far they are off last year’s pace.
Playmaker Dimi Petratos continues to try and make things happen for the Jets, but he has lacked the support staff and solidity in defence that typified the Jets last season.
Brazilian import Jair has not worked out, and their veteran back four have looked slow and past their prime.
Newcastle has scored the fewest goals of all teams this season, but against the porous Wanderers defence (who have conceded the second most) they will be hoping that Hoffman, O’Donovan and Jair can finally find some form.
Prediction
Newcastle is fielding a strong team in this game and should – on paper – have the edge.
However the Wanderers have had pockets of excellence in recent weeks and surely, surely are due for some good luck.
New signing Kwame Yeboah has been a revelation since joining the Wanderers, having four goal involvements in four games (two goals and two assists) and his pace and flair could terrorise the venerable Jets defence.
Going out on a limb, the Wanderers are due for 3 points in this game.
Western Sydney Wanderers 2 – Newcastle Jets 1
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Dimi is a talent and I hope he gets another chance to test himself OS.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
That's it from me for tonight. Does one try and sleep before the Asian Cup final in 3 hours? The answer, surely, is no. All the best guys!
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
A bad night tonight for the Wanderers after so much improvement in the last few weeks (despite results). Babbel doesn't get his luck tonight and the Jets reminded him that luck is something you make for yourself.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
MATCH REPORT. It’s a canter for the Jets tonight, breezing in a 5-1 win against a Wanderers team who showed glimpses up forward, but defended like schoolkids. This felt like a 3rd round FA cup tie between teams in different divisions, as the Newcastle Jets got most of their work done seemingly in 3rd gear, gifting possession to the Wanderers before catching them out on the break like the Harlem Globetrotters. Indeed the Wanderers had 61% of the ball tonight, and 19 shots (to the Jets 19), but the quality on the final ball just wasn’t there for the home team. In contrast the Jets playmakers were a cut above the rest tonight, with Dimi Petratos owning the first half and delivering a sermon to the Wanderers defenders on the use of space while counter attacking. The game was largely done at half time, with the Jets taking a 3 goal lead into the main change. It was Petratos who opened the scoring, burying a top corner effort brilliantly from a Hoffman cross, before repaying the favour for Hoffman to score after a clever backheel from the erstwhile Socceroo. The third came from a contentious penalty - converted after a rebound save by Roy O’Donovan - which was paid after a clumsy rather than intentional tackle in the box from the youngster Tokich. The fourth and fifth Newcastle goals came after the break. Ridenton poked home from close range after a telling Petratos cross, while another penalty was converted by O’Donovan after a less contentious tackle from Tokich again. But in truth the game was over at half time with Dimi Petratos in a command performance against a weak and disorganised Wanderers back 4. The only real shining light for the Wanderers was the form on debut of Mitchell Duke, who scored spectacularly 19 seconds after coming on, and who bobbed up in dangerous places throughout the rest of his 25 minutes on the pitch. While the Wanderers were devoid of any really good forward ideas in this game, they will be somewhat heartened by Duke’s individual play tonight. God knows they will need more individual quality in the back end of the season to make up for their lack of cohesion as a team. MAN OF THE MATCH was Dimi Petratos by a mile. He could have gone off at half time and still won MOTM by the length of the straight. He was at the middle of all of the Jets’ dangerous forward moves in the first half, and no one in the Wanderers back 4 or midfield seemed to have any idea how to prevent him finding the ball. And when he did find it, he often had decades to pick out a pass, get off a shot or wait for the overlap. He was clearly a class above tonight and any club overseas watching tonight will be kicking themselves that the transfer window has just closed.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
FULLTIME. The Jets have this. It's a 5-1 result for them away from home.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
There will be 3 EXTRA MINUTES
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
92' - SAVED by Janjetovic. It was a CORNER and a shot deflected through the mixer off Roy O'Donovan but Janjetovic adjusts and gets down to it.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
90' - Fantastic SAVE by Moss! He will NOT be beaten (again) tonight! It's Duke again who takes the long shot, but he makes great contact and Moss dives to his right to keep it out
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
We're approaching the 90 minutes, and no one at ANZ Stadium is expecting any miracles. In fact, with this rain, it's more likely that we see an Arc appear before a Wanderers comeback
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
The big miss for the Wanderers tonight is that their forward play has completely broken down, and their crosses into the box are being eaten for breakfast by Boogard, Topor-Stanley and Moss. Kwame is cutting a disconsolate figure in front of Riera tonight, the ball being smashed by teammates over or around him all night.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
86' - Moss COLLECTS again, this time off a miss-timed floating cross into the box. Moss has been imperious tonight and doesn't look like being beaten.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
85' - Good cross in from Llorente, after taking on and beating his man on the left, but the Jets centre halves are imperiod again, leaving no room for Riera to get his head to the ball.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
83' - SHOT WIDE from Duke, and it came from the clearance from a really dangerous ball in from Russell on the right. Yeboah moves it onto the right for Russell, who chips into the box for Riera but Boogard is up to it, clearing as far as Duke he gets an off balance shot off wide.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
81' - GREAT SAVE from Moss, off his line to prevent Sotirio from poking in the Wanderers second. It was Baccus who searched for Sotitio with a long pass who picks out Sotirio well, charging through the top of the box but Moss reads it and comes off his line to intercept. Veteran goalkeeping at it's best.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
80' - Good chance there for the new boy Sotirio, who take son his opponent and drives into the left of the penalty box, but his cutback is aimless and the Jets can get a boot on to CLEAR.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
79' - The Jets make their final change, pulling up the handbrake on the bus. Vargas if OFF and Kantarovski is ON
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
77' - A long Tokich SHOT is deflected wide for a CORNER. It's worth the chance there Tokich, but just like his teammates he chooses to take the long shot rather than interchange with a teammate closer to the box.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
76' - SHOT WIDE from O'Donovan! To make liar out of me O'Donovan is INCHES away from his hattrack there! It was a long ball over the top from Jair, and O'Donovan gets past his opponent and gets to the ball JUST before an off-his-line Janjetovic, but the Irishman doesn't have the time to control it and his instinctive toe-bash is just wide of the mark.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
It's been a fairly pedestrain half so far. The Wanderers have had most of the ball but haven't achieved alot with it, and Newcastle have continued to try and bury them going the other way -and have already for 2 goals. We have 15 minutes of regular time left and this feels like a game that will peter out...
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
74' - SHOT SAVED by Moss from Duke. Duke was miles out and with the crowd egging him on he takes the shot, but it's tame and easily stopped by Moss.