A League - Week 11 Review

Just four games again this week but what we lacked in number we made up for in quality.

First up were Newcastle Jets versus Adelaide United. Newcastle finally got their first win of the season at the eleventh time of asking and somewhat against the odds it was the Reds who suffered at their hands. It may have been that Adelaide were suffering a reaction to their mid week FFA cup win but it certainly had a touch of after the lords mayors parade from them.

The Jets deserved this win and set out their stall built on a first half full of hard graft. They took the lead in the forty ninth minute through Scott Neville, a corner was cleared as far as the extravagantly named Zenon Caravella who lofted a ball back in to Neville to slot home from six yards. Adelaide got back on level terms when Awer Mabil fed Jimmy Jeggo into the inside right channel, he put a low cross to the far post where Craig Goodwin did the rest.

Pedigree and form would have told you that the South Australians would push on but Newcastle showed hitherto unknown resolve to claim a late winner. In the eighty first minute the Jets man of the moment David Carney made a yard for himself before dinking a ball which fell to former Reds striker Jeronimo via a deflection. He pulled the ball back across goal and found the far corner beyond a flat footed Eugene Galekovic in the United goal.

As the last winless run of the season came to an end at Hunter Stadium the last unbeaten run also went the way of all flesh when City beat neighbours 1-0 at Aami Park in front of 26 thousand supporters. As all good local derbies should, the game provided plenty of talking points and controversy.

City were probably the better team throughout and earned the three points that Erik Paartalu brought them with his ninetieth minute winner. The first controversial moment arrived in the fifty fifth minute when City midfielder Jacob Melling swung an elbow in the direction of the head of opponent Leigh Broxham.

The referee deemed it only worthy of a yellow which must either have been an early show seasonal good will or a case of bottling a big decision in a big game. The footballing gods frowned on Victory again in the seventy fourth minute when a Broxham strike was not held by City keeper Tando Velaphi, Besart Berisha competed for the loose ball, it ran loose to Fahid Ben Khalfallah who knocked home.

Sadly for the Victory man the assistant ref gave the benefit of any doubt about off side to the defence and disallowed the goal. In the ninetieth minute City finally broke Victory hearts when Aaron Mooy had an effort pushed on to the bar and ultimately out for a corner. The resulting corner gave Mate Dugandzic the chance to cross from the right and Paartalu climbed highest to head low and home.

Mariners indifferent form continued as an entirely predictable home win came to fruition for Perth Glory when the home team ran out 4-1 winners. Chris Harold returned for his first start and shared the honours for Glory with Andy Keogh who had another highly influential performance. Harold opened the scoring in the thirty third minute when Keogh fed Sidnei Sciola into the inside left channel with a lovely flicked pass, the Brazillian crossed to the far post for Harold to tap home.

The second arrived just two minutes later when the Mariners custodian Liam Reddy errantly picked out Harold with his clearance, his instant cross was tapped home neatly by Keogh for his seventh goal of the season. Mariners got one back in the forty ninth minute when Matt Simon created a yard for himself on the edge of the box and slipped his strike into the corner of the net.

Glory made things safe in the seventy first minute when Roma bound teenager flicked the ball up twenty five yards from goal and volleyed home on the swivel for one of the individual goals of the season so far. Eight minutes later Harold notched his brace for the day by curling home right footed from an acute angle. With the result Glory took their lead at the top of the league to six points and their credentials as league champs grow every week.

The weekends entertainment was brought to a close at Allianz Stadium when Sydney took on Wellington Phoenix in front of fourteen thousand fans. The kiwi team took the honours with a 2-0 win but Sydney will be kicking themselves for not getting any credit from a dominant first half performance. Bernie Ibini was the main threat to the visitors taking the prompting of Terry Antonis to the Nix but they went in at the break 0-0.

The second period was very different as Wellington pushed further up the park and denied Sydney the room that they had thrived on in the first period. The visitors inched ahead in the seventy first minute when Michael McGlinchey picked out Nathan Burns with a fine diagonal ball, the in form striker controlled instantly, advanced threatened to cut in right faded back left, leaving two Sky Blues defenders in his wake before beating Vedran Janjetovic at his near post.

Eight minutes later Burns notched his brace and eleventh league goal when McGlinchey fed him a ball in the inside right channel, a neat turn and shot later and hey presto 2-0. The Phoenix leap frogged their hosts with the win and now sit in fourth place.

What have we learned?

Burns must be Socceroo material in the form that he is in and with the rapidly declining national team in desperate need of goals from anyone not called Tim Cahill.

Maybe we should be paying a little more attention over the ditch as Kiwi part timers Auckland City finished in third place in the club world cup.  

This week’s fixtures

Melbourne City v Perth Glory

Sydney FC v Adelaide Utd

Central Coast Mariners v Brisbane Roar

Melbourne Victory v Newcastle Jets

Wellington Phoenix v Western Sydney Wanderers