Adelaide United 0-8 Newcastle Jets
By Jonathon Hagger 29/3/24
Above: Newcastle Jets celebrate at Coopers Stadium today. Photo: Newcastle Jets.
With the chance of being able to play finals football depending on a big win and other match results going their way, the Newcastle Jets could only play their match against Adelaide United in one way, full throttle. While Adelaide United continued to languish at the bottom of the A-League table they are a team capable of beating any other team when luck is on their side. Playing in front of their home crowd at Coopers Stadium in Adelaide, the pressure was applied right from the kickoff.
The Jets employed a full press style of play as they attempted to contain Adelaide in their half. The first five minutes of the match were totally frenetic with the Jets pressuring the defence as they looked for their lethal strike weapon, Sarina Bolden, who has had an incredible season since being added to the playing squad. It was Bolden who was delivered a beautiful pass by Lauren Allan who got away the first shot on target in the seventh minute. A lovely strike was unable to beat Adelaide’s goal keeper, Grove, who deflected the ball away into her defensive player with the ball eventually being cleared for a throw.
The match settled into a more sustainable rhythm following the first goal scoring opportunity. Both teams battling hard to get entry into attacking position. Newcastle wonder kid, Lara Gooch, setup the second scoring opportunity with a lovely weighted pass into the front of goal. Melindaj Barbieri headed the ball towards the open net and what looked like a certain goal fell just wide of the upright and went out for a corner. If this style of play would continue, the Adelaide coaching teams nerves would be absolutely shot after 90 minutes.
Isabel Hodgson, Adelaide striker, swung the momentum back towards her side in the 16th minute, when she unleashed a heatseeker shot on goal that was brilliantly saved by Grove. The fully outstretched keeper for her fingertips to the ball. Had Grove not been quite so well placed then a goal was certain. The resulting corner kick provided Adelaide another opportunity to score as the ball pin-balled around in the goal area, eventually going out for a goal kick.
Giving up is not in the Adelaide playbook and Chelsie Dawber demonstrated this in the 22nd minute after receiving the ball in space as Holmes dissected the Jets midfield defensive line. A shot from the top of the box was again deflected away by Robertson for a corner. Adelaide were incredibly unlucky not to score.
A lapse of concentration by the Adelaide players paved the way for captain Cass Davis to open the scoring in the 26thminute. A long range speculator shot off the left boot flew wide of Grove, finding the back of the net.
End to end football ensued with both teams having excellent opportunities to score but neither team able to capitalise. Newcastle’s Lara Gooch plagued Adelaide’s defenders on the right hand side repeatedly with a very near miss happening in the 34th minute with the goalkeepers foot being the barrier. Immediately following this, at the other end of the pitch, Dawber had an opportunity to score as she beat the Jets defenders but couldn’t beat the keeper. Non stop action!
One of the emerging superstars for the Newcastle Jets showed again, in the 41st minute, why she is a Young Matilda. Following repeated runs in behind the Adelaide defenders, Lara Gooch had luck on her side as a pass into the goal area ricocheted off a defender and into the goal.
Lapses of concentration by the Adelaide defenders cost them a third goal before half time. A poor kick by the keeper was intercepted by Lauren Allan who went on to score an easy goal in the 46th minute. Allan was rewarded for her strong efforts throughout the match.
The halftime break wasn’t long enough for Adelaide as they coughed up another goal in the opening plays of the second half. Beautiful passing by Sarina Bolden unleashed Gooch who spun her way through the defenders and scored her second goal in the 46th minute.
Even though they were trailing by four goals, Adelaide showed they were still in the fight in the 49th minute as they got their own shot on goal away as Chelsie Dawber had a crack. Young keeper Robertson once again kept the ball from going inmaintaining a clean sheet. Soon after in the 52nd minute, the Adelaide midfield found cohesion and strung together a fabulous cross field play through short passes that ended up with Mariah Lee hitting the crossbar!
Unfortunately for Adelaide, Newcastle weren’t satisfied with only four goals. They were ready to push more more. Emma Dundas received the ball at the top of the Adelaide box, spun, weaved and shot the ball into the back of the net. There was nothing Grove could do as the Jets went up 5-0 in the 57thminute. Again, defensive lapses by the Adelaide defenders cost them badly.
Super sub striker Melina Ayres was brought into the match after 58 minutes of play and in the 61st minute she scored yet another goal for the Jets. A beautiful long pass over the top of the Adelaide defence reached Ayres, who had cut through with a well times run to stay in side. A tight angle wasn’t enough to stop Ayres from scoring with the score line moving to 6-0 to the Jets.
If there was a mercy rule and teams could surrender, Adelaide would have played it in the 69th minute as yet another defensive blunder gifted the Jets the ball. Melina Ayres confidently picked the pocket of the defender and launched another shot that flew past the outstretched arms of the goal keeper without being touched.
As the match entered the final stages, the Adelaide players would have been able to justify feeling hard done by. A tackle on their attacking player inside the Jets goal area was waved away as being fair by the referee. What might have been their chance to reclaim some pride was extinguished. Another opportunity soon presented itself as Adelaide were awarded a free kick deep in the Jets area. A well delivered kick found the head of an attacking player but the ball splayed wide.
As if seven goals weren’t enough, Newcastle were able to strike again in the 94th minute following patient build up and short passing involving Dundas, Bolden, Ayres, Hammondand Huynh. An unselfish Bolden set up her team to score as she laid off the ball in the goal area and Huynh’s shot ricocheted off the post and into the goal.
Thankfully the Adelaide team were able to ignore the score line and kept pushing for the entirety of the match. Mariah Lee in particular was not going to give up and kept fighting until the very end. The very end came soon enough as Newcastle crushed Adelaide 8-0 in a thoroughly dominant performance.
Players to watch.
Dylan Holmes. The anchor of the Adelaide midfield is strong in all areas of her play. She is a players player as she always gives her absolute all when playing. Holmes has incredible vision that she uses to spot openings and put her players into space. Holmes is the centre piece of the Adelaide structure will hopefully have a better season in the year ahead.
Tiahna Robertson. Being given an opportunity to be the starting goalkeeper for a few weeks at the end of the season, Robertson looked like a well weathered keeper even though she is very young. Stepping up into the big time didn’t phase her as she made a bunch of fantastic saves. The young second choice keeper let everyone know she’s the real deal.
Adelaide United are a good team with talented players. Their finishing last this season is not a fair reflection of the amount of dedication and heart the team play with. The 2023/24 season was one of ‘what if’s’ for Adelaide. What if they had taken their opportunities? What if they had been able to pick up more wins? If some high quality signings of off contract players are made in the off-season to bolster their back four, Adelaide could improve remarkably next season. Adelaide has the foundations and structure, they just need to find a winning formula.
Adelaide United (4-3-3): Grove, Holtz, Tonkin, Waldus, E Hodgson, Holmes, Blake, Sasaki, Dawber, I Hodgson, Jancevski.
Subs: Wilson (64’), Morgan (51’), Lee (51’), Dewey (72’), Panagaris (64’).
Newcastle Jets (4-1-3-2): Robertson, Cicco, Prior, Baumann, Dundas, Davis, Copus-Brown, Barbieri, Gooch, Allan, Bolden.
Subs: Dunbar, Huynh (71’), Hoban, Ayres (58’), Hammond(71’).
Scorers: Davis (26’), Gooch (42’), Allan (45+2’), Gooch (46’), Dundas (57’), Ayres (61’), Ayres (69’), Huynh (94’)
Referee: Beth Mackie.
Attendance: 3,092.
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