NEWCASTLEJETS.COM.AU
The Newcastle Jets are the 2008 Hyundai A-League Champions! The Jets defeated the Central Coast Mariners 1-0 in front of over 36,000 fans at the Sydney Football Stadium today.
The opening period, and indeed the majority of the game, was dominated by the team from the Hunter, as their astute passing game troubled the Mariners no end.
Nerves were also dominant in the first 15 minutes, with neither side wanting to slip up. The first shot in anger came from Matt Thompson in the 17th minute, after Adam D’Apuzzo whipped in a delightful cross for Thompson to volley. Unfortunately his shot sailed over the bar.
2 minutes later and striker Mark Bridge nearly opened the scoring with a stinging right-footed strike on the edge of the area. Bridge played a neat one-two with Korean, Jin-Hyung Song, and hit his shot first-time from 20 yards, but that ball went agonisingly wide.
Central Coast’s first shot came through Greg Owens in the 28th minute, but his strike went harmlessly wide.
The two sides went in 0-all at halftime, as tension mounted inside the SFS. The Jets appeared to have the better of the play, but had yet to take their chance.
Socceroo striker John Aloisi then had the opportunity to make the Jets pay in the 49th minute, but pushed his open header wide of Ante Covic’s goal. Aloisi’s strike partner, Sasho Petrovski, then tried an audacious chip from 35 yards as the Mariners began to try their luck.
3 minutes later and left-wingback, D’Apuzzo had a great chance after some excellent lead-up work by Stuart Musialik and Joel Griffiths. D’Apuzzo, however, sprayed his shot wide, but the space he was afforded was a worrying sign for the Mariners.
Then came the moment that all football fans in Northern NSW had been dreaming of; Bridge scored from a cracking strike to give the Jets a deserved lead. After a slip-up at the back, Bridge pounced and went on a solo run toward goal. After cutting inside his defender, Bridge then hit a curling shot beyond his good friend, Danny Vukovic, and into the back of the net.
The Mariners then pressed hard to gain the equalizer, but in the end were frustrated by the Jets’ miserly defence. Owens hit hopeful shot that went well wide on the 68 minutes mark. And substitute, Matt Simon, pushed his shot-on-the-turn wide of the mark moments later.
As the game was winding down drama unfolded, with Vukovic being sent from the field after a melee broke out when he came forward for a corner in the dying minutes.
The Jets would go on to secure a historic win, and clinch their first piece of silverware. The trophy was no less than the travelling faithful deserved, and the Jets players and coaching staff have bathed the region in glory for some time to come. No doubt the celebrations in the Hunter will go on for some time
Article Source: http://www.newcastlejets.com.au/default.aspx?s=njfc_club_newsitem&id=21582
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