Newcastle Jets 3-2 Wellington Phoenix
By Ryan Miller-Woods 4/2/24
Above: Newcastle Jets celebrate their win. Photo Newcastle Jets FC
In a highly enthralling match that had a combined total of 37 shots between both teams and five goals, Newcastle Jets achieved their first win in three rounds.
The 3-2 victory over Wellington Phoenix has moved the Jets up into eighth position on the A-League Women’s ladder now just one point away from the Top Six.
Wellington opened the scoring as Isabel Cox crossed the ball into the box for in-form striker Mariana Speckmaier. In the scramble she beat the Newcastle defenders and slotted the ball past Isobel Nino into the bottom left corner for her fourth goal in three matches and seventh of the A-League Women’s season. It made her the all-time leading goalscorer for the Phoenix in the league ahead of ex-Wellington player Grace Jale.
Despite not scoring in the first twenty minutes Newcastle looked dangerous in parts. They made chances, especially from set-pieces which the Jets kept the Phoenix on their toes. The Phoenix looked really strong in terms of their passages in play with Cox and McMeeken playing really important roles in how Wellington built up the field.
The Jets had a very good opportunity to equalise in the 27th minute thanks to Cassidy Davis whose cross in the box just missed Sarina Bolden.
Six minutes later, Newcastle found their equaliser as Zoe Karipidis put a ball into the box intended for Bolden but instead went past Wellington’s Brianna Edwards into the bottom left corner.
In the 38th minute, Newcastle came very close to taking the lead as Lauren Allen crossed the ball into the box. Bolden’s header was spectacularly denied by Edwards with an outstanding piece of goalkeeping.
Five minutes into the second half, Newcastle took the lead thanks to Copus-Brown. Her first-time shot from outside the box flew over Edwards and into the back of the net for her first goal of the season. Given how they went in the first half from an attacking perspective and how they started this half, the Jets took a deserved lead in the match.
In the 56th minute, Wellington levelled the scoring after Macey Fraser provided a beautiful through ball for Cox. She went around the keeper and laid the ball into the bottom left corner for her second goal of the season.
Nine minutes later, Newcastle regained their lead after Bolden controlled the ball with a great turn in the box where her shot curled past Edwards into the bottom right corner.
In the first minute of stoppage time for the second half, Wellington came close to equalising thanks to McMeeken whose cross in the box found Hailey Davidson. Her shot came off the post but in the end that wouldn’t have mattered as the Phoenix were deemed to have been offside.
Teams: Newcastle Jets (4-3-3): Nino, Baumann, Davis, Wilson, Karipidis, Copus-Brown, Dundas, Hoban, L. Allan, Bolden, Barbieri. Substitutes: Rochaix, Prior, Huynh, Hammond, Gooch.
Scorers: Karipidis 33’, Copus Brown 50’, Bolden 65’.
Wellington Phoenix (4-3-3): Edwards, M. Foster, Barry, Jaber, Davidson, Fraser, Taylor, Longo, McMeeken, Speckmaier, Cox. Substitutes: Danieli, Whinham, Breslin, Main, Elliott.
Scorers: Speckmaier 4’, Cox 56’.
Referee: Caitlin Williams.
Attendance: TBC.
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