The Newcastle Jets did not look like a team at the bottom of the ladder but it was all for naught as they lost 2-1 to Wellington Phoenix.
The game had a slow start, with little of note happening in the first 20 minutes. David Ball had a long-range shot and there was a VAR check on a possible handball by Liberato Cacace but it was a dour beginning.
The first piece of action was the worst kind of action. Lachlan Jackson was forced off with a nasty knee injury in the 26th minute and was replaced by John Koutroumbis.
The Jets were the better of the two sides in the first half, with Wellington not looking up to scratch.
Not for the first time this season, the Jets’ finishing let them down. After the half-hour mark, a brilliant piece of attacking play saw Jason Hoffman have a point-blank shot at goal. A point-blank shot that ended up in the stands.
Thanks to few chances, the score was 0-0 at the break.
The second half would start in the same fashion in the first, with the Jets looking in control.
A great passing move in the 53rd minute saw Ulises Dávila set substitute Jaushua Sotirio free down the left-hand side with nothing but space to run into.
The 24-year-old bent his effort past Lewis Italiano and Newcastle were back at square one trailing 1-0.
The goal gave Wellington the boost they sorely needed and following the goal it was attack, after attack, after attack.
However, the Jets would get the goal they deserved to make it 1-1. A 66th minute cheap giveaway allowed Dimi Petratos’ shot to bounce off Luke DeVere straight to the feet of Abdiel Arroyo.
The game got crazier still, as the Nix struck back. Alex Rufer had only been on the pitch for a few minutes but his 68th shot was deflected straight into the path of Dávila to take the lead 2-1.
The game had sprung to life. The first 20 may have been dour but the last 20 was end to end football. Petratos’ bullet header forced a fantastic save out of Stefan Marinovic, and such chances were now commonplace.
With time running out a desperate Newcastle continued to give Marinovic and the Nix defence a run for their money.
Stress ran rampant in the Sky Stadium. Marinovic somehow saved Wellington’s bacon again and again. A 94th-minute clearance off the line saw hands on heads.
Against all odds and a quality Jets attack, Wellington survived.
Wellington Phoenix: 2 (Sotirio 53’, Dávila 68’)
Newcastle Jets: 1 (Arroyo 66’)
Sky Stadium
Attendance: 8503
Referee: Ben Abraham
Assistant Refs: Lance Greenshields, Sarah Jones
Fourth Official: Tim Danaskos
VAR: Nick Waldron
Wellington Phoenix: Stefan MARINOVIC (GK), Luke DEVERE, Tim PAYNE, Cameron DEVLIN, David BALL, Ulises DÁVILA, Brandon WILSON (Alex RUFER 67’), Liberato CACACE, Callum MCCOWATT (Jaushua SOTIRIO 51’), Steven TAYLOR (C), Gary HOOPER (Te Atawhai HUDSON-WIHONGI 85′)
Unused subs: Oliver SAIL (GK), Callan ELLIOT, Ben WAINE, Sam SUTTON
Newcastle Jets: Lewis Italiano (GK), Bobby BURNS, Jason HOFFMAN, Nigel BOOGARD (C), Benjamin KANTAROVSKI (Angus THURGATE 81′), Steven UGARKOVIC, Abdiel ARROYO, Dimitri PETRATOS, Matt MILLAR (Kaine SHEPPARD 72’) Lachlan JACKSON (John KOUTROMBIS 26’), Nikolai TOPOR-STANLEY
Unused subs: Noah JAMES (GK), Kosta PETRATOS
Featured image credit: Newcastle Jets
