Jets soar with solitary strike
NEWCASTLE Jets kept their slender top six hopes alive in a nailbiting 1-0 win over Western United at McDonald Jones Stadium last night.
The win sees the Jets leapfrog into seventh position — just a point away from sixthplaced Adelaide United and fifth-placed Perth Glory — but they’re running out of games.
Although Western is now a point behind Jets, the newest A-League club still has four games to ensure they can win a play offs spot while Newcastle has just one more clash before its regular season is done.
Jets striker Roy O’Donovan scored the winner with a diving header from a Jason Hoffman cross in the 29th minute.
Knowing a loss would dash its finals hopes Western soaked up the relentless Jets’ early balls over the top of its defence but managed to gain some order after Andrew Durante rescued the visitors with a timely tackle as O’Donovan threatened to open the score in the 12th minute.
O’Donovan was lucky to escape punishment when he floored Durante with an elbow to the head of the centre-back two minutes later as the pair chased a loose ball in Western’s defensive half.
After Jets skipper Nigel Boogaard ankle tapped Besart Berisha unpunished Western’s Italian captain Alessandro Diamanti watched his deflected effort cannon of the post in the 18th minute as the visitors deployed a strangling press on Jets defenders when they were close to their own penalty box.
Western’s Connor Pain then had Jets gloveman Lewis Italiano at full stretch with a 10m effort after a tantalising ball from Diamanti in the 25th minute before Jets’ Bernie Ibini’s free header sailed over the bar from 7m.
Berisha had the ball in the back of the net but was deemed offside in the 31st minute.
O’Donovan was unlucky not to add to his 10 goal season tally just before the break when his 20m shot cannoned off the upright. As Western regrouped for a brighter start to the second half, Ibini succumbed to what appeared to be a hamstring injury.
The Jets should know whether their finals fate is still alive by Sunday when they host Wellington in their final home-and-away clash.