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25Mar23
Newcastle All But Condemn Wellington To Wooden Spoon
by Jeremy Ruane
Newcastle Jets all but condemned Wellington Phoenix to the wooden spoon for a second successive Liberty A-League season on March 25, coming from behind to down the Kiwi combination 3-2 in a compelling encounter watched by 606 fans at Cheryl Salisbury Field.
Nervous play was in abundance throughout the early stages of this tussle, with stray passes aplenty as both teams struggled to cope with the tension brought on by a match which had so much more than three points at stake.
As a result, there was little quality on display early doors, the only genuine threat on goal in the opening ten minutes being a Michaela Robertson drive which stung the gloves of Georgina Worth after the speedster had scythed inside off the left flank.
Wellington threatened again in the fifteenth minute, and should have opened the scoring from a glorious opportunity created by Kate Taylor's ball over the top. Grace Wisnewski timed her run through the middle from deep to perfection to leave herself one-on-one with Worth, who tipped her opponent's rising drive over the bar when a low drive into one of the bottom corners of the net would have rendered the 'keeper helpless.
The resulting Michaela Foster corner was grabbed under her crossbar by Worth, who was next called into action in the 25th minute to block a Paige Satchell shot after Robertson and Emma Rolston had combined for the speedster's benefit.
Emily Garnier cleared the ball to safety, but Newcastle's relief was only temporary, for from Foster's resulting corner, Wellington opened the scoring, Marisa van der Meer affording herself an early 21st birthday present by powering home a ten yard header into the far corner of the net on receipt of a pinpoint delivery from the set-piece specialist.
Red rag to a bull! The goal sparked Newcastle into life, Murphy Agnew firing their first shot in anger on the half-hour. Brianna Edwards gobbled up the twenty-five yarder, and looked on with relief four minutes later after Lucy Johnson's long-range effort flew past the post, Rolston having been caught in possession, then compounding her blunder by protesting to the referee instead of striving to win the ball back.
Methinks she doth protest too much, as it's an unwelcome feature of "Rolo"'s game which, frankly, needs to be stamped out sharpish! As they'd say in Yorkshire, "Shut thine gob and get on with 't game, lass!"
Her team-mates got on with the game from the resulting goal-kick, Chloe Knott and Betsy Hassett combining for the benefit of Foster, whose driven cross was headed clear by the impressively performed Garnier, whose driving runs into Wellington's half of the pitch were a feature of Newcastle's display.
Seven minutes before half-time, Newcastle equalised, in part thanks to the ridiculous intervention of Wellington's assistant coach, Callum Holmes, who earned a yellow card for kicking the ball away. From the resulting throw-in, far greater punishment was inflicted.
Cannon Clough and Sophie Stapleford teamed up to present Cass Davis with a shooting chance which swerved away from goal … but perfectly into the stride of Lauren Allan, racing up on the blindside of Foster. She marked her fiftieth A-League Women's appearance by rifling home the leveller from beyond the far post.
The goal rocked Wellington, and after Knott had seen a shot saved by Worth, the home team's 43rd minute counter-attack saw Johnson surge out of defence before releasing Agnew down the right. Her cross was headed back to her by van der Meer, so this time Agnew went for goal, thundering a shot past the post.
To describe the second half as manic is an understatement! At times, it was bonkers!! You simply couldn't take your eyes off the action, never mind take notes of what was happening. Nonetheless …
Rolston fired the first shot in anger, swooping on Garnier's stumble only to shoot straight at Worth in the 48th minute, two minutes before she deftly flicked Robertson's driven cross past the goalkeeper, only for the offside flag to turn her delight into disappointment - not for the first time this season, a mistimed run combined with a failure to look across the line had denied Wellington due reward for their industry and creativity.
Unperturbed, the visitors continued to press hard, Satchell scampering down the right before firing in a low cross which had Robertson's name written all over it until Tessa Tamplin's timely intervention kept the home team on level terms.
Not for long, however, for Wellington regained the lead in the 53rd minute, a goal inspired by their captain. Knott chased down a couple of Newcastle defenders and forced a mis-directed clearance, Robertson the beneficiary. She fed Hassett, who sent Satchell speeding through the inside right channel on an angled run which culminated in a rising drive beating Worth all ends up at her near
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post - 2-1.
After Edwards had saved at the feet of Stapleford as Newcastle pursued another equaliser, Rolston sent Satchell down the right once more. This time, her cross careered across the goalmouth, too far in front of both Hassett and freshly introduced substitute Milly Clegg for either to capitalise upon.
Seconds later, Foster, who had already been booked, found herself walking a tightrope with referee Rebecca Durcau, who had her yellow card out after the defender fouled Agnew, only to be talked out of issuing it by her assistant - not every match official has it in for your team, Wellington fans!
This gave Newcastle fresh impetus, and after both Garnier and Agnew had seen shots blocked by the seemingly impregnable brick wall which Taylor was impersonating, the home team levelled the scores again, this time via the fearless Wellington defender.
Tamplin's 64th minute cross picked out Garnier, who headed the ball down for substitute Ash Brodigan. She executed the perfect air-shot, but recovered her poise to fire again, this time successfully. Her shot was blocked by Taylor, but on this occasion her outstretched leg diverted the ball beyond the already committed figure of Edwards.
'Twas a brutal blow for the defender to bear, the sight of Taylor lying face-down on the turf a harsh one for Wellington fans to endure, because either side of this incident, the Junior Ferns captain was a tower of strength for the visiting team, her own goal an indication that sometimes fortune doesn't favour the brave.
At 2-2, it was all on for young and old, with chances galore coming at both ends of the park. Hassett set the tone in the 66th minute, surging downfield before releasing Clegg down the left. She evaded a challenge before firing in a cross which Worth punched off the head of Ava Pritchard, her first involvement since taking over from Rolston.
Immediately, Newcastle countered, Claudia Cicco fortunate not to concede a penalty after Clough went down under her challenge. In the immediate aftermath, Emily Roach snatched at the chance to fire her team in front, her wild effort prompting a swift counter-attack which saw Clegg evade a challenge on the edge of the area, only to curl her shot right at Worth.
Newcastle's 'keeper grabbed a chipped effort from Clegg in the 72nd minute, Knott and Satchell having engineered the opening. Seconds later, it was Hassett's turn to threaten, Pritchard's pass playing the midfielder in with just Worth to beat, only for Hassett to thrash a shot past the near post when many were anticipating a more composed finish from this wily stalwart of NZ women's football.
Wellington were piling on the pressure now, Wisnewski, despite being fouled in the centre circle, retaining possession then powering forward before playing in Clegg, who was denied by Worth's brave save at her feet twelve minutes from time.
Seconds later, Hassett did Chloe Walandouw like a kipper before pulling the ball back to Cicco. Her shot was blocked by Davis, but the substitute quickly reloaded her Derringer and fired again, only for Worth to block this attempt to break the deadlock.
Ten minutes from time, Satchell scooted down the right once more before playing in Pritchard, whose first-time drive was grabbed by Worth. She instantly sparked a counter-attack, Allan leading the charge. She fed Johnson, whose ferocious twenty-yarder flew inches past Edwards' right-hand post, with the 'keeper diving in a vain effort to keep it out.
A minute later, Newcastle's players and fans were in joyous mood after taking the lead for the first time in the contest. Davis and Clough worked a one-two on the left before the former turned her marker and slammed home an unstoppable angled twenty yard drive via the underside of the crossbar - 3-2 to the Novocastrians.
Now it was Wellington's turn to chase the game for the first time in the contest. However, they could only muster one opportunity of note in the time remaining. Clegg set sail for goal in the 86th minute before crossing for Hassett. The retreating figure of Garnier blocked the ball for a corner, from which Charlotte Lancaster blasted one past the post.
Any further Wellington attempts to snatch a late leveller foundered on Newcastle's rearguard, one which has leaked goals galore this season, but which was able to withstand the efforts of the league's least potent attack to clinch the points and avoid the dreaded wooden spoon, with Wellington set to finish last for the second successive year thanks to this defeat.
Newcastle: Worth; Tamplin (Walandouw, 75), Garnier, Allen, Clough; Agnew, Davis, Johnson; Allan, Stapleford (Brodigan, 59), Roach (booked, 36) (Andrews, 89)
Wellington: Edwards; Barry, van der Meer, Taylor; Robertson (Clegg, 54), Knott, Wisnewski, Foster (booked, 51) (Cicco, 65); Hassett; Rolston (Pritchard, 65), Satchell (Lancaster, 83)
Referee: Rebecca Durcau
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