Mission to ground Jets

Victory confident of reeling in high-flyers

THE barnstorming Newcastle Jets fly south to take on Melbourne Victory tonight, but Kevin Muscat says their clash will be all about whether the ALeague sensations can stop the home side.

Three wins in its last four matches – including a last-out last-gasp derby success – has Victory back in its groove.

That’s the same record as Ernie Merrick’s side over the last month, making their AAMI Park match a mouthwatering proposition.

Despite the Jets’ record this season, which includes a 4-1 home defeat of Victory, and a 10-point buffer over the Melburnians, Muscat said the match would be played on his terms. “It will be more about our execution and how we go about things and making them stop us,” Muscat said.

“The last week, that first half, the way we came out of the blocks and the way we started was outstanding. And the week before in Brisbane.

“It’s a different ball game now them coming to Melbourne and playing us here.”

Muscat has discounted their earlier season meeting ahead of the side’s first home game at AAMI Park this season, saying it will have “no relevance” to the contest.

A clash between ex-Victory defender Daniel Georgievski and his title-winning captain Mark Milligan led to the Socc- eroo’s send-off and the Jets’ three-goal win. That loss might have been the nadir of Victory’s early-season woes.

Fan protests and calls for changes reverberated around the club after the Round 8 loss, but Muscat held the line.

“When things aren’t going well, its human nature to want to change everything,” he said.

“Whether it’s people or formations or structures. The harder thing to do is analyse where you can do better. That’s the approach we had.”

Leigh Broxham will miss the match as he continues his recovery from a hamstring strain.

The match is likely to arrive too soon for Georgievski to feature against his old side, given the 29-year-old injured his knee in the reverse fixture. But Nick Cowburn will return for the Jets after his own recovery from a knee injury, and should be named on the bench.