Jets stun City to inch closer to ALM finals berth

Yahoo

12-03-2025

Plucky Newcastle have overcome a lengthy lightning delay and an attacking barrage from Melbourne City to spring a 1-0 upset win and achieve their longest unbeaten run in 20 years.
Just three days after drawing 1-1 with A-League Men leaders Auckland FC, the Jets drew within six points of the top-six on Wednesday, going seven games unbeaten (four wins and three draws) after a match that had to be paused for more than an hour because of the weather.
The victory, Newcastle's first over City at AAMI Park in 10 years, also came amid speculation over coach Rob Stanton's long-term future.
This double save is simply 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗲 😱🧤🔥 HOW did the ball stay out here?!Noah James, take a bow - that is world class keeping 👏Two of the @NewcastleJetsFC keeper's eight saves in a 1-0 win tonight. What a performance! pic.twitter.com/tm6sIILhW7
— Isuzu UTE A-League (@aleaguemen) March 12, 2025
Wasteful City dominated shots 27-5 and corners 14-0, with nine shots on target to Newcastle's one - Lachie Rose's goal in the 69th minute - while the brilliant Jets goalkeeper Noah James made seven saves.
"The idea's to defend better up front so we don't have to defend like that," Stanton
"But when you play quality teams like Melbourne City - well-resourced, quality players, well-coached by Aurelio (Vidmar), you know that you're gonna have to be really well there.
"So we obviously did more work on it this week.
"As the game went on, I knew that the boys are fit, I knew that they're resilient and I knew they're in a good space."
Third-placed City (34 points) burned a golden opportunity to leapfrog Western United (35) and cut the gap to leaders Auckland (41) to four points.
"Classic dominant performance, and get countered on the other end, and lose the game 1-0," City coach Aurelio Vidmar said.
"That hasn't happened to us for a long time."
Newcastle started strongly but the game was stopped in the 14th minute due to lightning over AAMI Park.
City, who had 11 shots to Newcastle's one for the half, seized control of the game after the restart over an hour later and Steven Ugarkovic forced James into a save in the 28th minute.
In the 37th minute, Max Caputo also brought a great diving stop from James, and less than a minute later, he also batted away a fierce strike from Mathew Leckie.
The busy keeper denied Caputo, then Nathaniel Atkinson in the 49th minute, before Caputo shot over the bar.
Atkinson appeared certain to score in the 66th but Phillip Cancar dived brilliantly in front of his goal-bound shot.
Two minutes later, James denied Trewin's glancing header superbly and Harry Politidis turned the rebound wide from point-blank range.
The turn 😮‍💨 The finish 🎯 A 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 counter attack from @NewcastleJetsFC!Seconds after an outstanding Noah James save to keep them level, the Jets take the ball up the other end and hit the front through Lachie Rose ⚡️Watch #MCYvNEW live and exclusive NOW on Paramount+… pic.twitter.com/4itH1e5rdJ
— Isuzu UTE A-League (@aleaguemen) March 12, 2025
Then, Newcastle took the ball from end-to-end before Thomas Aquilina slipped through Rose, who turned on the ball and rifled it past Patrick Beach and into the top corner.
Newcastle return to action against Western United at home on Sunday, while City don't play again until after the international break.
"Yes, we should be disappointed, because this game we should have won," Vidmar said.
"So we just roll up our sleeves and get back to work on Saturday and slowly start building for our game against Sydney."