Newcastle Jets 3-3 Canberra United
By Ryan Miller-Woods 6/1/24
Above: Lorena Baumamn sends Newcastle into attack. Photo: Newcastle Jets
In a highly entertaining and physical match that included 37 shots, six goals and two lead changes, Newcastle Jets and Canberra United shared the points with a 3-3 draw at No.2 Sportsground.
Early in the match, it was Newcastle that looked the more dangerous with the chances within the first ten minutes but it was Canberra who had more possession in that time period with 62.5% and at that stage did enough to deny the Jets.
It still felt more likely that Newcastle would have scored the opening goal considering their passages of play in the final third at that time.
In the 15th minute, a throw-in by Claudia Cicco went to Libby-Copus Brown who flicked the ball for Sarina Bolden in the box. Bolden first time shot went past Canberra’s Chloe Lincoln and into the back of the net with an absolutely beautiful goal and her fourth of the A-League Women’s season.
Newcastle’s lead only lasted eight minutes as Sarah Clark provided an amazing through ball from down near Newcastle’s end that found Michelle Heyman who made a great run on the wing. She provided an integral cross for Nicki Flannery in the box which Flannery without hesitation scored with her first-time shot as Canberra equalised.
The further the half progressed especially after Newcastle’s opener, the more that Canberra got themselves into the match in terms of their attacking chances into the match which when everything is clicking in the attack for United, goals feel imminent.
Just after the half-hour mark in the 31st minute, Deven Jackson made a great run on the wing and into the box where her shot went past Isobel Nino for Canberra’s second goal of the match and Jackson’s first in the A-League Women.
Newcastle came agonisingly close to scoring an equaliser in the first minute of stoppage time. A deflected Sophie Hoban shot went into the path of Lauren Allan whose shot just sailed wide. It would have been great to have levelled the score just before half-time but nevertheless the Jets weren’t out of it by any means.
In the first minute of the second half, Newcastle thought they’d found their equaliser thanks to a great sailing cross by Lara Gooch that found Bolden in the box who was caught offside.
Five minutes into the second half, Newcastle found their equaliser. Gooch made a brilliant run with the ball where her shot from outside the box sailed past Lincoln into the bottom right corner for the Jets’ second goal and Gooch’s first in the A-League Women.
In the 72nd minute, Newcastle regained the lead in the match as Bolden provided an important cross in the box that found Melindaj Barbieri who scored with her first-time shot. Bolden unsurprisingly was great throughout the match with the threat she provided both in the final third. The way she controlled the ball and provided the assist for Barbieri the way she did removed any doubt that she is a top player.
Twelve minutes later, Canberra equalised with an outstanding goal by Sarah Clark from outside the box. She saw her moment and just went for it and her shot sailed past Nino and into the top left corner for Canberra’s third, and Clark’s first in the A-League Women.
Teams: Newcastle Jets (4-3-3): Nino, L. Allan, Karipidis, Cicco, Baumann, Dundas, Davis, Barbieri, Copus-Brown, Bolden, Hoban. Substitutes: Rochaix, Wilson, Simon, Ayres, Gooch.
Scorers: Bolden 15’, Gooch 50’, Barbieri 72’.
Canberra United (4-3-3): Lincoln, Jackson, Clough, Clark, Grove, Murray, Heyman, Stanic-Floody, Milivojevic, Christopherson, Flannery. Substitutes: Majstorovic, McKenzie, Rojas, Nathan, Whittall.
Scorers: Flannery 23’, Jackson 31’, Clark 84’.
Referee: Bec Mackie.
Attendance: TBC.
impetusfootball.org 