Newcastle Jets 4-2 Western United
By Kieran Yap (17/12/23)
Above: Emily van Egmond for Newcastle Jets. Photo: Newcastle Jets
Emily van Egmond has finished her guest stint in style with Newcastle recording a 4-2 win over Western United in the weekend’s most entertaining game.
The Matildas playmaker was making the last of her five appearances in her guest stint with the Jets and continued her fine form this season with a strong start. Van Egmond played a through ball into the path of Lauren Allan in the early stages of the match, but the Jets winger’s effort missed the target.
Newcastle looked happy to set up their defensive press at the halfway line. They invited Western United to try and play out from the back and tempted the centre-back pairing of Alana Cerne and Grace Maher upfield.
In doing so, they used one of Western’s strengths against them. It was a risky gambit, but if Newcastle won possession at halfway, they were able to use the pace of Allan and Lara Gooch to counterattack from an advanced position.
When Allan scored her first goal of the afternoon it was after being released in this fashion by Sarina Bolden. There was still plenty for the Newcastle local to do when she gained possession, but the pass and her pace took out the defence, and she did not miss her second opportunity.
Newcastle went into the break a goal ahead, and it was simultaneously a deserved but slightly fortunate lead.
Western United enjoyed the majority of possession and were creating plenty of chances in the final third, although none could be converted.
At the break, visitors head coach Kat Smith introduced Kiewa Hieda into the fray. The Japanese winger has been dangerous when given playing time this season, and alongside Hannah Keane, Western’s attack continued to test Gary van Egmond’s defenders.
Keane was a constant menace and although most of her shots were from outside of the box, her pace was causing problems for the home side. When she surged into the penalty area her run took her wide and the chance looked gone. But a touch around Izzy Nino earned Western United a penalty that Chloe Logarzo converted confidently.
Newcastle responded soon after. Emily van Egmond tucked away Allan’s cutback with all the composure and class that she is known for and The Jets were back in front.
The match was becoming relentlessly entertaining, and it was Stacy Papadopoulos who pulled Western level again. The right-footed left-back curled home an effort from 20 yards after some tidy footwork to create space for herself.
It was Papadopoulos’s first A-League Women goal, and it arrived on her 27th birthday. It was a contender for goal of the week but may not be the best goal of this game.
That honour could just as easily go to Sarina Bolden who lofted the ball over Hillary Beall from long range with a scarcely believable strike. There had been three goals in seven minutes of gameplay.
Western United continued to attack, buoyed by the fact that they were still dominating general play, and perhaps by the general feel of the match. Anything could happen on this day, so there was no use playing safe.
However, it was Newcastle who scored their fourth and the afternoon’s sixth and it was the effervescent Lauren Allan who brought up her brace to settle the result.
Van Egmond was involved once again, as she has been in most of The Jets attacks since joining this season. She slipped a pass through for substitute Lorena Baumann who crossed to the back post for Allan to nod home.
That effectively ended the afternoon’s action. Both teams played to their strengths but Newcastle’s counterattack won the day. Their speed of ball movement and determined running all over the pitch were enough to overcome Western’s possession style.
This was a big win for The Jets, but with van Egmond’s imminent departure the questions over the value of guest players will once again be asked.
The likely answer to that is “it depends.” If a player can come in, help impact ladder position, mentor some young players, and allow other stars time to recover from injuries, then it feels like an easy decision.
That is what Emily van Egmond has provided in five games. In that time, Lara Gooch has emerged as a star, they have won two games, immediately increased crowds, and allowed Libby Copus-Brown and Melina Ayres to avoid rushing back into action.
Ideally, van Egmond would be at the club for longer, but she was clearly not here for a holiday or simply as a World Cup victory lap. She returned to Newcastle to make a big impact in a short amount of time. They would have liked at least one more point from her time there, but overall, the move was a huge success, culminating in one of the games of the season.
Teams: NEWCASTLE JETS (4-2-3-1): Nino (GK), Wilson, Prior, Cicco, Allan, Hoban, Davis, van Egmond, Dundas, Gooch, Bolden. Substitutes: Copus-Brown, Ayres, Huynh, Baumann, Rochaix.
Scorers: Allan 25’, 74’. van Egmond 62’, Bolden 69’
WESTERN UNITED (4-2-3-1): Beall, Sardo, Cerne, Maher, Papadopoulos, Sawicki, M Taranto, Vlajnic, Logarzo, A Taranto, Keane. Substitutes: Richards, Hieda, Dall’ Oste, Robers, Dakic.
Scorers: Logazro (pen) 54’, Papadopoulos 64’.
Referee: Isabella Libri
Attendance: TBC
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