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04Feb24
Newcastle Come From Behind To Down Wellington
by Jeremy Ruane
Newcastle Jets scored a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over Wellington Phoenix in their Liberty A-League clash at Cheryl Salisbury Field on 4 February, in doing so inflicting a seventh successive defeat on Australian soil for the Kiwi team.
Paul Temple's charges couldn't have got off to a better start, opening the scoring in the fourth minute. Hailey Davidson picked out Isabel Cox, who turned Zoe Karipidis then murdered her for pace before picking out Mariana Speckmaier with a low cross.
The striker had plenty to do, but did it brilliantly, evading three defenders in a tight area with a smart turn before lashing home past Izzy Nino from eight yards for her seventh goal of the campaign, and her fourth goal in the last three fixtures.
Nine minutes later, Wellington went close to doubling their lead. Macey Fraser overhit a cross-field ball to Zoe McMeeken, who chased after it and gathered it in before bringing Annalie Longo into play.
She drew two defenders before slipping the ball back into McMeeken's stride, the utility player storming into the penalty area before battering a shot beyond the diving figure of Nino, only to see the ball crash off the far post to safety.
That stirred Newcastle into action, and after Brianna Edwards turned a Melindaj Barbieri thirty yard free-kick round the post, headed attempts from Sarina Bolden and Lauren Allan landed on the roof of Wellington's net as the home team stepped up their pursuit of an equaliser.
Allan brought her captain, Cass Davis, into play in the 27th minute, with the midfielder's first time low cross flashing just beyond the incoming figure of Bolden as the Philippines international homed in on the far post.
Seconds later, Sophie Hoban fed Allan, whose cross towards the near post for Bolden's benefit was cut out by Edwards, who was caught out by a long-range effort from Karipidis in the 32nd minute as Newcastle drew level.
Wellington had cleared their lines following a corner, with the fullback picking up the pieces some 45 yards out from goal and firing the ball back into the danger zone, Bolden her target. The striker failed to make contact with the sphere, but her run and acrobatic attempt to divert the ball goalwards put Edwards off, the 'keeper realising too late that the ball was still goalbound. Into the far corner it bounced, to the delight of the young fullback.
Straight from the kick-off, Fraser thundered downfield in breathtaking fashion, sweeping past all-comers before linking with Speckmaier for the benefit of Longo. The massed ranks of Newcastle defenders were now gathering as one, and their efforts stymied Wellington's progress on this occasion.
Eight minutes before half-time, Edwards made amends for her blemish by producing what must rank as one of the best saves you'll see anywhere this season. Barbieri teamed up with Libby Copus-Brown, who spread play wide to Allan. Her cross was measured to perfection for Bolden to head home, but Edwards, anticipating the attempt, produced an absolutely stunning save in full flight to turn the ball round the post.
For her efforts, she copped a whack off the post after team-mate Davidson had inadvertently collided with the goalkeeper, but while Edwards was able to continue, the news wasn't so good for Speckmaier in the shadows of the half-time whistle - a muscle twinge as she stretched in a bid to block a clearance by Nino.
Her departure dealt Wellington's hopes of victory a mortal blow, so crucial is Speckmaier to their game plan - that she's responsible for a third of their goals this season should tell you all you need to know of just how big a blow her departure from the fray is to the travelling team.
While Wellington were coming to terms with their attacking spearhead's departure, Newcastle looked to make hay while the sun shone before the half-time whistle, with Edwards flying to her left to keep out a Davis effort after Barbieri, Hoban and Allan had combined to create the opening.
Back came the visitors on the counter-attack, substitute Emma Main seeing her shot grabbed by Nino, who produced an awful clearance soon afterwards, directing the ball straight to Longo. Her twenty-five yard snapshot looked to catch out the back-pedalling goalkeeper, who tipped the attempt onto the post.
The ball rebounded into the goalmouth, but criminally, neither Cox nor Main was following in - guarantee Speckmaier would have been all over this like a rash had she been on the park. Alas not … a great chance spurned.
Inside the first sixty seconds of the second spell, Newcastle were denied a clear-cut penalty when McMeeken felled Hoban in the area. Well-placed referee Caitlin Williams earned the ire of the home crowd by ignoring the local side's claims, but after the officiating display Wellington endured a week
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ago, they must have felt they were owed one by the refereeing fraternity, and this was clearly part of the payback process.
Mackenzie Barry was back on deck for this match, and came storming out of defence in the 48th minute, powering past three opponents before picking out Main on the left. She made a great run in behind the Newcastle defence before unselfishly looking to reward Barry, who had continued her run forward in support.
The freshly introduced Natasha Prior cleared her lines, sparking a counter-attack from which the home team took the lead. It came via a corner, Barbieri's delivery picking out Bolden who turned the ball back into the stride of Copus-Brown. From inside the 'D', she hit an absolute belter over all-comers and into the net via the underside of the crossbar - 2-1.
Straight from the kick-off, Longo scampered downfield, eventually picking out Main in the penalty area. She was thwarted at close quarters by Nino, while in the 55th minute, Bolden was thwarted by the post, having beaten Edwards with a dipping twenty-five yarder after being gifted possession by Kate Taylor, who had done so well to win the ball back just seconds earlier - Wellington's defensive midfielder was furious with herself, but she soon had a smile on her face.
For the visitors levelled the scores in the 56th minute. Fraser's silky skills earned her some room just inside Newcastle's half, from where she threaded a peach of a pass through the inside right channel, having spotted Cox's diagonal run towards it.
The striker powered past Prior to latch onto the ball, then swept past Nino in the same movement to leave herself with an untended net to fire into from inside the penalty area. Mission accomplished - 2-2.
Buoyed by their equaliser, Wellington sought to regain the lead. Michaela Foster fed Main, whose lovely pass unleashed Longo down the left, from where she cut inside past a defender and unleashed a curler bound for the top far corner of the net, until Nino launched herself high to her left to push it to safety - a fine save. Main was following in, but from an acute angle could only hit the side-netting.
From the resulting goal kick, Newcastle should have taken the lead, Bolden staying on her feet despite another clumsy piece of defending from McMeeken which could easily have resulted in a penalty after Copus-Brown ignited the move with a powerful run downfield.
The Philippines striker instead slipped a pass to Hoban, whose shot from six yards was splendidly parried by Edwards - a fine reflex save which allowed Wellington to scramble the ball to safety. But in the 65th minute, the home team regained the lead, Barbieri combining with Bolden on the left to allow the latter to unleash a shot on the turn from the edge of the penalty area which sailed into the top far corner of the net - 3-2, Newcastle, and how!
Wellington sought another equaliser, Fraser twice stinging the gloves of Nino with shots from distance, one a twenty-five yard free-kick. The natives retorted via an 81st minute featuring Copus-Brown - an impressive midfield display - and substitute Lara Gooch, who proved too quick for McMeeken before inviting Bolden to let fly once more.
Edwards dived to her left to save this effort, and was diving to her right in vain three minutes later as Gooch, drifting in off the right flank, swept past two opponents before unleashing a curling twenty-yarder which flew narrowly past the post.
Back came Wellington, McMeeken breaking down the left before picking out Davidson, who was flying up in support on the far post. Her shot struck the post, but the raised offside flag meant that even if she'd scored, the visitors would have been disappointed.
The final chance of the contest saw Edwards play the ball to Hope Breslin, who was caught in possession by Copus-Brown. She instantly brought Bolden into play, but the striker was taken out by Jaber - another clear penalty which Newcastle were denied in this match.
Referee Williams allowed play to continue, however, as Emma Dundas latched onto the loose ball and unleashed a rising drive which Edwards tipped over the bar. That save kept Wellington in the contest, but the sound of the final whistle soon after secured a 3-2 win for the Novocastrians, who leapfrogged the Wellingtonians on the table, the beaten side now back in ninth place, but just three points shy of fourth spot - that's a measure of how tight this league is with seven rounds to play.
Newcastle: Nino; Baumann (booked, 90), Davis, Wilson (Prior, 46), Karipidis (booked, 70); Hoban, Dundas (booked, 68), Copus-Brown; Allan (Gooch, 73), Bolden (Hammond, 90), Barbieri (Huynh, 85)
Wellington: Edwards; Davidson, Jaber, Barry, Foster (Whinham, 60); Fraser, Taylor, Longo (Breslin, 60); Cox, Speckmaier (Main, 42 (Elliott, 81)), McMeeken
Referee: Caitlin Williams
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