Newcastle Jets 0-2 Western United
By Alyce Collett 30/3/24
Above: Kiewa Hieda for Western United. Photo: A-Leagues
Western United has tightened its grip on fourth spot of the A League Women’s ladder after a 2-0 win over the Newcastle Jets this afternoon.
The visitors controlled much of the match, and although it took them a while they eventually did score their goals through Catherine Zimmerman and Kiewa Hieda. The result also ends Newcastle’s hopes of making the finals, with the Jets no longer able to bridge the gap between themselves and the top six even if they win all their remaining matches.
In blustery conditions up in Newcastle, the match started as a free flowing affair, with both sides generating decent chances. However, as the first half progressed, Western United started to wrestle control of the match, and started to bank some solid minutes in their attacking third. They were also not afraid to shoot from distance, with the likes of Chloe Logarzo willing to pull the trigger and test the keeper.
Newcastle did certainly have its moments of attacking promise – with the likes of Libby Copus-Brown and Laura Allan being particularly dangerous – but as hard as that pair were working, a well ordered Western defence meant that their efforts came to no avail.
Neither side could get a goal on the board in the first half, but considering how dominant in position Western United had been, Newcastle probably would have been the happier of the two sides with that scoreline at the main break.
However, Western United did not take long into the second half to finally put a goal on the board – less than five minutes – with Zimmerman backheeling the ball into the back of the net after a mad scramble on the goal line. This was the spark of something for Zimmerman, who was a lot more influential in the second half than she had been in the first.
Another visitor who was also starting to become influential was Sasha Grove, who despite in an official sense was playing at left back, was in reality actually playing more like a winger and creating a lot of attacking energy for her side.
Despite now finally having that much deserved goal on the board, Western did not drop their intensity, continuing to push hard for a second goal.
With their season now really on the line, Newcastle made an interesting first substitution in the 66th minute, replacing Natasha Prior with Sherridan Gallagher. Although it did seem to give them an initial boost, it ultimately did not give the side its desired outcome in the form of any goals.
Western’s second goal came with about a dozen minutes to go when Hieda tapped the ball into the back of the net to convert a Zimmerman cross and further cement the lead.
Perhaps aware of the situation the game was now in, Western United went into game conservation mode after that.
Teams: NEWCASTLE JETS (4-2-3-1): Krzyzaniak, Cicco, Prior, Wilson, Baumann, L. Allan, Dundas, Davis, Jackson, Hoban, Copus-Brown. Substitutes: Breier, Gallagher, Robertson, Hammond, Vicari.
WESTERN UNITED (4-4-2): Lincoln, Grove, Maher, Mihocic, Medwin, Logarzo, Dehakiz, Eggesvik,Hieda, A.Taranto, Zimmerman. Substitutes: Dall’Oste, Sardo, Ibarguen, de Domizio, M.Taranto.
Scorers: Zimmerman 50’, Hieda 77’
Referee: Rachael Mitchenson
Attendance: 1,260.
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