Glory have to much power for Jets

Perth Glory left the Energy Australia Stadium with all three points after a 3-0 victory tonight against the Newcastle Jets in Round 6 of the Hyundai A-League.

The Jets made three changes to their starting eleven that drew 1-1 at the Central Coast Mariners with the suspended pair of Paul Okon and Joel Griffiths replaced by Steven Old and Adam D’Apuzzo and Tarek Elrich replacing Stuart Musialik.

The Glory made two changes from the side that lost 1-2 to Melbourne Victory with the fit again Jason Petkovic replacing teenager Aleks Vrteski and Bobby Despotovski replaced the injured Ante Kovacevic with Naum Sekulovsli dropping to the left back position and David Tarka moving to the centre of defence.

It was a quiet opening to the game with both sides showing nerves, knowing a win was essential to both of them. The Glory were first to threaten, a long throw by Jamie Coyne was flicked on by Stuart Young and Tarka’s sent his header wide.

Coyne was booked in the 15th minute when he challenged keeper Ben Kennedy late and with the Jets having no replacement on the bench Nick Theodorakopoulos looked on anxiously, but he was able to continue with a heavy bandage on his right knee.

The Jets forced two consecutive corners but they came to nothing. It was the Glory who went closest on the night, a quick break on the left by Stan Lazaridis ended with his cross finding Stuart Young who fed Despotovski whose shot was saved low by Kennedy.

Lazaridis was causing all sorts of problems down the left, and after another great run and cross he found Young, but the Jets defence cleared his shot away. The Jets were guilty of giving the ball away to easy in the middle of the park but the Glory did not capitalize.

A great run by Nick Carle lifted the Jets, but after cutting inside Sekulovski shot straight at Petkovic. The Glory pressed forward and a great cross from the left by Sekulovski found the unmarked Despotovski but the veteran striker headed over.

The Glory were showing great discipline and keeping their shape that was frustrating the Jets, and there hard work was rewarded on the stroke of half time with the lead. Colosimo found Despotovski out wide his shot was fortunately deflected to Young who finished clinically past Kennedy.

The Jets almost hit back immediately Carle sent Mark Bridge clear in the right channel but he shot inches wide. It was 1-0 at the break to the visitors and was well deserved.

The Jets opened brightly Carle running at the Glory defence but his shot cannoned off his own player and went wide. Milton Rodriguez was having a quite night, but he found space in the box in the 50th minute and went down under the challenge of Jamie Harnwell but referee Matthew Breeze waved away their penalty protests.

Moments later Rodriguez found defender Andrew Durante in on goal but Petkovic was out quick to save. The Glory should have doubled their lead in the 63rd minute, Lazaridis intercepted the ball on the half way line and it fell to Despotovski, who found Young unmarked in the box, but the veteran striker blazed high over.

The Jets were looking for a spark to get them back in the game and second half substitute Tolgay Ozbey skipped past Sekulovski into the box on 74 minutes, but his shot was saved low by Petkovic and Coyne cleared for a corner. From the resulting corner Jade North fired wide at the back post.

The Glory pressed and Young found David Micevski wide right, he played Bertos in on goal but his shot was deflected away by Kennedy. The Glory doubled their lead in the 83rd minute, moments before Harnwell had a header cleared of the line, but he made no mistake from the next corner rising high and heading powerfully home off the post.

Bertos nearly made it 3-0 in the 88th minute his curling free kick cannoning back of the post. But the Glory put the game out of the reach in the 92nd minute, Coyne played Bertos down the right, he beat two Jets defenders before pulling the ball back for Young to fire home.

After the game, Jets coach Nick Theodorakopoulos said, “We had a couple of chances before they scored, but didn’t take them. We changed it to a 4-4-2 at the break, but we were opened up and got punished late on. We lost Steven Old late on which didn’t help, and the height of Tarka and Harnwell caused us problems.

“We had a lack of pressure in the midfield tonight, which is going to happen with young kids, but we’ve struggled all week with injuries and illness.”

Perth Glory coach Ron smith said, “I thought tonight was a good advert for football. Both sides went out and played good passing football. But at the end of the day it’s the side that gets the break on the night and we did tonight.

“I thought Bobby was very good tonight. It’s his first start for us this season and he holds the ball up well and brings other players into the game, which we’ve lacked in recent games.”

A superb all-round performance from the Glory which would have pleased coach Ron Smith, but it’s the eleventh game without victory for Theodorakopoulos and his side.

The Glory host New Zealand Knights next Friday evening at Members Equity Stadium, while the Jets host league leaders Melbourne Victory at the Energy Australia Stadium next Sunday afternoon.

Team Line-Ups

Newcastle Jets:
Ben Kennedy (gk), Jade North, Milton Rodriguez, Andrew Durante, Matt Thompson, Nick Carle, Tarek Elrich (Ozbey 72), Adam D'Apuzzo (Haliti 45), Mark Bridge, Steven Old (Eagleton 72), Paul Kohler. Subs not Used: none. Yellow Cards: Nick Carle (74).

Perth Glory:
Jason Petkovic (gk), David Tarka, Simon Colosimo, Jamie Harnwell, Bobby Despotovski (Micevski 79), Stan Lazaridis (Glavas 82), Leo Bertos, Jamie Coyne, Adrian Webster (Christie 83), Stuart Young, Naum Sekulovski. Subs not used: Aleks Vertski. Yellow Cards: Jamie Coyne (15).

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