Newcastle Jets vs Central Coast Mariners at McDonald Jones Stadium
Result: Jets 2 – Mariners 4
Top Six for Mariners
On a wet April evening in Newcastle, the Mariners overcame their F3 Derby rivals by 4 goals to 2. This win was enough to move Central Coast into the top six at the pointy end of the season. A highly supportive large number of fans from the Coast made themselves heard as they roared on their favourites.
The game opened with the locals determined to attack and score but decisive defence and heroics in goal by Mark Birighitti repelled them.
It was in fact the visitors who scored first at the 19th minute mark. A long ball from Dan Hall was expertly controlled by Moresche. From the edge of the box, Duncan in the Jets goal rushed out which left the goal unguarded. The Brazilian lobbed the ball over the goalie’s head with the outside of his right boot for goal number one.
Ten minutes later it was 2-0 as a superb free kick out on the right by Beni N’Kololo was flashed into the goal area. A Newcastle defender got a head to the ball, leaving their goalkeeper Duncan unable to clear the ball allowing Jason Cumming to meet it at the far post to head home.
Four minutes later on a raid into the Jets penalty area, Moresche was again in the action by opening up space to put a pass through to N'Kololo. In the ensuing contest for the ball, the elusive N’Kololo was tripped by a Jets defender. Cummings stepped up and made no mistake to hit home the spot kick with still 12 minutes to go to the break.
Whatever was said in the Jets sheds did the trick as a good piece of football resulted in the Mariners goal being breached only one minute into the second stanza. A second Newcastle goal came just three minutes later as Jacob Farrell while trying to put the ball out for a corner had the ball skid off his boot into his own net.
It was now "Game on" with the play seesawing from end to end with both sides putting in great shots which either missed the target or the keepers’ saved.
Newcastle thought they had drawn level in the 81st minute with a well taken header. However a VAR review deemed that Rowles had been pushed in the lead-up and the decision to award a goal was overturned.
The late substitution of 17 year old Garang Kuol in the 89th minute resulted in a fourth goal for the Mariners. Birighitti from a free kick deep in our half punted the ball long where the versatile N’Kololo rose and headed the ball to an unmarked Kuol. Showing exceptional control, Kuol’s decisive shot across Duncan found the far side of the target to seal a tremendous win.