Jets stall ahead of finals

AT the worst time of year, Newcastle’s dominant ALeague campaign has run into turbulent air.

A 3-0 loss at home to Melbourne City yesterday has alarming portents for Jets boss Ernie Merrick, for all that it matters nothing to Newcastle’s guaranteed second-place finish.

A goal to Bruno Fornaroli and two for Dario Vidosic lifted Melbourne City back to third place, but it was the nature of the contest that should concern Merrick — especially as there is every chance that City will come here again in four weeks’ time in the finals.

A team that previously had lost only four times in 23 rounds has now been defeated twice in a row for the first time this season, conceding five goals in the process. It was also a bad night to fail to score for the first time this season.

Given that their win in Wellington a fortnight before was highly fortuitous, the Jets have hit a wobble deep into the business end of the season.

“It’s a pretty disappointing result in front of our home fans but the boys haven’t done that too often,” said Merrick. “What killed us was the (defending from) setpieces. We work hard on that in training but it was pretty slack.

“Hopefully the players will learn a lesson from this, as I said to them at half-time, if this is a finals game they’re going out.”

Credit to City, though, whose fluency is heading in the opposite direction. Compact, well organised and inventive going forward, they will provide a test for any side in the finals.

Daniel Arzani is the headline threat and he was thrilling again on Novocastrian turf.