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Newcastle Edge Wellington In Maitland Heat
by Jeremy Ruane
Newcastle Jets inflicted a second successive 1-0 defeat on Wellington Phoenix in the Ninja A-League on November 17, a match witnessed by 2108 fans in stifling heat at the Maitland Sports Ground, the temperature so intense that two drinks breaks per half were required by the players to allow them to perform somewhere near their best.
Given the severity of the playing conditions, coupled with the frequency of stoppages, particularly in the second spell when substitutions contributed to proceedings, this was a game in which chances were few and far between - it was more a case of mere survival as the Hunter Valley endured an early taste of the fierce heat for which Australian summers are renowned.
Newcastle enjoyed the first opportunity of the contest, a seventh minute raid which featured Sheridan Gallagher, Lauren Allan and Sophia Hoban, and culminated in Football Fern Deven Jackson just failing to get on the end of Hoban's cross.
Wellington responded through the mercurial talent that is Alyssa Whinham, who was visibly struggling with the heat by the time the first half drew to a close. On this occasion, she led the charge before threading a pass through towards Emma Main, only for Natasha Prior to intervene in timely fashion for the home team.
On the quarter hour, Gallagher sent a shot soaring over the bar from the edge of the penalty area, after Jackson and Allan had combined to good effect. Ten minutes later, concerted pressure from the home team saw Wellington defending desperately, with attack-minded duo Grace Jale and Whinham forced to assist the visitors' rearguard action.
After Lorena Baumann picked out Josie Wilson with a corner which saw the recipient direct a header straight at Carolina Vilao, both teams started to feel the effects of the energy-sapping heat as the half wore on, but it was Newcastle who finished the stronger of the two sides, carving out numerous opportunities in the five minutes before what was a welcome break.
Prior picked out Gallagher, whose shot was blocked by Tiana Jaber. The rebound fell invitingly for Jackson, who drew a fine flying save to her left by Vilao, the goalkeeper tipping the Kiwi's effort over the bar.
Emma Dundas tested Vilao from twenty yards soon after, while Wellington's goalkeeper then denied Gallagher at her near post before keeping out Allan's header after she was picked out by Baumann's cross.
The Swiss delivered another cross in first half stoppage time, one which Gallagher headed narrowly wide, while with virtually the last kick of the half, Gallagher fired a twenty yard free-kick into Maitland's main street!
Newcastle came desperately close to breaking the deadlock in the 52nd minute. Wilson sent Jackson scorching down the left into the penalty area, from where she sent a low cross sizzling across the face of goal. Alas for the home team, no one was up in support of their Kiwi team-mate, who had a fine game against her countrywomen.
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Wellington enjoyed their best spell of the game halfway through the second half, with the offside flag denying Main a goal seconds before she teamed up with Annalie Longo, whose angled shot rolled agonisingly past the far post in the 68th minute.
Newcastle's response, two minutes later, was brutal from Wellington's perspective - they broke the deadlock with a speculative curling effort from out wide, Cassidy Davis' strike deceiving Vilao and dropping in under the bar by the far post.
Longo looked to spark a response, threading a pass through for Jale to pursue. Tiahna Robertson dashed off her line to save at the feet of the Football Fern, who, with Longo, covered virtually every blade of grass in Wellington's cause - their fitness levels and example were inspiring, particularly given the conditions in which the game was played.
Back came their hosts, Baumann delivering a 75th minute corner which Vilao could only paw out as far as Davis. From six yards, she steered a volley inches past the post, before she was picked out by another Baumann cross five minutes later.
This time, Davis header struck the covering figure of Daisy Brazendale and ricocheted skywards. The ball dropped invitingly for Newcastle substitute Gia Vicari, who, with the goal at her mercy, contrived to direct her header from inside the six yard box against the post.
Wellington were wilting, and Newcastle looked to finish them off with a second goal. Jackson broke down the left once more before inviting Dundas to let fly, an effort she directed straight at Vilao, who sparked a Wellington counter-attack with an 84th minute clearance which sent Jale racing down the left.
Overlapping fullback Lara Wall was up in support, and Jale's pass invited the substitute to deliver quality. Olivia Fergusson was the beneficiary of Wall's cross, but directed her header across the face of goal.
Wellington were dealt another blow in the dying minutes, Longo copping a stray elbow from an opponent which left the visitors' captain severely distressed. She had to be assisted from the ground looking rather groggy, and with blood flowing from a facial wound near her left eye - 'twas off to hospital forthwith for the long-serving Football Fern.
Before the final whistle, Vilao turned a Vicari free-kick over the bar, but Newcastle had done enough to claim the points, although the sight of Longo leaving the field in such obvious distress offered a sense of perspective to proceedings post the final whistle.
Newcastle: Robertson; Cicco, Prior, Baumann; Hoban, Davis, Dundas (Adams, 88), Jackson; Allan (Hammond, 88), Gallagher (booked, 59 (Vicari, 61)), Wilson (Gooch, 75)
Wellington: Vilao; McCutcheon, Jaber (booked, 54), Barry (booked, 45); Elliott (Wall, 46), Longo (McMillan, 90 (booked, 90)), Brazendale, McMeeken; Main (Tanaka, 71), Whinham (Fergusson, 46), Jale
Referee: Bec Mackie
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