Newcastle Jets 2 Central Coast Mariners 1
GOALS to a Central Coast product and the league's leading scorer - and possibly the goalkeeping save of the season - have blown open the race for the finals, with the Newcastle Jets nailing three points against the faltering Mariners last night.
The in-form Jets stunned the ground-record 19,238 fans, toppling the Mariners, who have won just one of their past seven matches and will lose top place in the league after tonight's match between Queensland Roar and Sydney FC.
In warm, humid and quite gusty conditions, the teams turned on a gripping "F3 Derby" befitting both the importance of the match in terms of the league ladder and the growing local rivalry.
Goals to James Holland and Joel Griffiths did the job for the Jets up front, while, at the back, Socceroos hopeful, goalkeeper Ante Covic, pulled off a spectacular second-half save to deny John Aloisi.
The teams went to the break locked at 1-1, with both goals coming within a frantic first 10 minutes. The opener, a typical centre forward's strike by Holland shocked the majority of the crowd but sent The Squadron - Newcastle's loyal fan group - into raptures.
However, they only had three minutes to celebrate before the Mariners' top scorer from last season, Adam Kwasnik, drove home a brilliant low strike from 18 metres.
The Jets started the second half as they did the first, with Griffiths making the most of a magnificent 50-metre pass from defence by Andrew Durante in the 52nd minute.
As tensions grew, the Mariners came so close to pulling back the deficit through Aloisi. Meeting a cross from replacement Andre Gumprecht, Aloisi headed strongly in the direction from which Covic was coming. But the tall keeper dived back the other way, stuck out his left hand and parried the ball onto the crossbar.
"It was outrageous," Jets coach Gary van Egmond said afterwards. "It was a real reflex save. He made himself big. John did the right thing and headed the ball back across and [Ante] got a big paw to it and it came off the crossbar. You're never beaten."
Griffiths, meanwhile, described it as probably the best save he'd seen.
Last night's result means that a draw tonight in Brisbane would leave four clubs equal at the top on 31 points with one round to play. For the Jets, though, the win means they can start preparing for finals football.
"It's good to make sure that [a finals berth] is in our hands," van Egmond said. "It's important that you take momentum into the finals series. It sets it up now against Perth. If we win that last home game, we'll go close to being in the top two. If you really want to challenge [for the title] you've got to finish in the top two."
Article found at http://www.smh.com.au/news/a-league/mariners-lose-way-as-rivals-home-in-on-title/2008/01/12/1199988647013.html
GOALS to a Central Coast product and the league's leading scorer - and possibly the goalkeeping save of the season - have blown open the race for the finals, with the Newcastle Jets nailing three points against the faltering Mariners last night.
The in-form Jets stunned the ground-record 19,238 fans, toppling the Mariners, who have won just one of their past seven matches and will lose top place in the league after tonight's match between Queensland Roar and Sydney FC.
In warm, humid and quite gusty conditions, the teams turned on a gripping "F3 Derby" befitting both the importance of the match in terms of the league ladder and the growing local rivalry.
Goals to James Holland and Joel Griffiths did the job for the Jets up front, while, at the back, Socceroos hopeful, goalkeeper Ante Covic, pulled off a spectacular second-half save to deny John Aloisi.
The teams went to the break locked at 1-1, with both goals coming within a frantic first 10 minutes. The opener, a typical centre forward's strike by Holland shocked the majority of the crowd but sent The Squadron - Newcastle's loyal fan group - into raptures.
However, they only had three minutes to celebrate before the Mariners' top scorer from last season, Adam Kwasnik, drove home a brilliant low strike from 18 metres.
The Jets started the second half as they did the first, with Griffiths making the most of a magnificent 50-metre pass from defence by Andrew Durante in the 52nd minute.
As tensions grew, the Mariners came so close to pulling back the deficit through Aloisi. Meeting a cross from replacement Andre Gumprecht, Aloisi headed strongly in the direction from which Covic was coming. But the tall keeper dived back the other way, stuck out his left hand and parried the ball onto the crossbar.
"It was outrageous," Jets coach Gary van Egmond said afterwards. "It was a real reflex save. He made himself big. John did the right thing and headed the ball back across and [Ante] got a big paw to it and it came off the crossbar. You're never beaten."
Griffiths, meanwhile, described it as probably the best save he'd seen.
Last night's result means that a draw tonight in Brisbane would leave four clubs equal at the top on 31 points with one round to play. For the Jets, though, the win means they can start preparing for finals football.
"It's good to make sure that [a finals berth] is in our hands," van Egmond said. "It's important that you take momentum into the finals series. It sets it up now against Perth. If we win that last home game, we'll go close to being in the top two. If you really want to challenge [for the title] you've got to finish in the top two."
Article found at http://www.smh.com.au/news/a-league/mariners-lose-way-as-rivals-home-in-on-title/2008/01/12/1199988647013.html
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