Newcastle Jets 2 Sydney FC 0
Sydney FC sent their fans away with very little cheer on Saturday following a dismal defeat in Newcastle that knocked them off their unlikely perch at the top of the A-League ladder. Second-half goals from youngster Will Dobson and Xavier Bertoncello pulled the rug from under the Sky Blues, who were winding up for a big finish. Following on from the embarrassment in Wellington for our ailing women’s side earlier in the afternoon, this was a Christmas cracker to forget for those who made the journey north.
Sydney FC sitting proudly on top of the league, so this was a must-see game. We were aiming for a 1pm departure from the North Western suburbs but it was more like 1.30pm; as soon as we got through the NorthConnex tunnel it was obvious that we were going to regret it. A stop-start journey was smooth enough though and had us in the McDonald Jones car park around 3.30pm. With the Sunnyside Tavern just a bit too far, we made the executive call to make a pit stop at the Thirty Messiah, a brew pub ten minutes walk from the stadium, and potentially a home fans pub to make it a little exciting.
Must say, it was refreshing. A massive selection of beers brewed in-house and a mix of football fans and locals, Socceroos and Matildas fan and Jets fanatic Dylan stopping by to say hello, and we walked together back to the stadium, arriving with ten minutes to kick-off. I love Newcastle, it has a similar vibe to where I grew up, and sure enough there were plenty of friendly faces, including my ex-Rovers teammate and fellow NUFC fan Mark and Qatar World Cup comrade Andy. There was a half-minute pause for the Bondi tragedy, impeccably observed in total silence apart from some idiot right at the start who yelled out something loud but indecipherable. We left for our side of the stadium, the lovely corner in the blazing sun, but luckily there was plenty of cloud cover today.
No sooner had we left the Newcastle end, the chant went up “F*ck off Sydney FC” – thanks for waiting at least – and we were installed in the Cove a minute later as the game kicked off. Something was a bit different. Our fearless capo was offering the floor to anyone who wanted to start a chant. This was ground-breaking. It gave a voice to other members of the Cove, it did give rise to a bit of repetition and some slightly different call and responses, but it allowed the chants to be more organic than usual, and I can only applaud it. There was still a Rhythm of my Heart on 23 minutes – some traditions are not to be messed with.
Sydney started brightly, Al Hassan Toure having a shot beaten away and Marcel Tisserand tangled with the Jets’ keeper when it looked, from our angle at least, like he would score. That didn’t last long however, and Newcastle were all over Sydney, our tormentor in chief Clayton Taylor up to his usual trickery, but he couldn’t find a way through, at one point sending a shot across goal and out for a throw-in. Sydney were fortunate to be level at the break and we made our way around the stadium again.
A comedy half-time fan engagement saw fans invited to throw paper airplanes from the stands and try and get it into a bucket. The chances were so slim that the handsome cash bounty was safe and the wind made sure that none of the plans got anywhere near the centre of the field. Bit of fun though.
We were still in the Jets’ South hill when the second half kicked off, and were relieved when the referee decided that Alex Grant hadn’t fouled his man. That could have been pivotal, and we were out of there quick smart to get back to our bay. Akol Akon was on at right wing in front of us and looked lively, but it was now one-way traffic. Alex Grant was tied up in knots on the byline and we watched as the Jets peppered the Sydney goal. When the ball did come up our end, Victor Campuzano smashed one way over the top when well-placed and that looked to epitomise our day.
The Cove was still going for it. There was a kids’ game happening on one of the terraced patches of grass, the young ones not interested in the A-League game going on alongside them at all. The bogan chants were starting but not continuing, and we were now getting the bright sun in our faces and it was a super-sweaty evening.
Sure enough, the Jets broke soon after with the Sky Blues gifting possession, and sliced through the non-existent Sydney midfield to present Will Dobson with a one-on-one, and he somehow got the better of Harrison Devenish-Meares and Marcel Tisserand to poke the Jets into the lead. Joe Lolley was a surprise inclusion almost immediately and he seemed to change the game, the Jets players giving him a little too much respect. When his chance did come, again the ball was way over the bar. Sydney were pressing, and looked the most likely to score next. Sadly, it was from a Sydney FC break that it all fell apart – the Jets raced upfield and Bertoncello had time and space to bend a shot in for 2-0. There seemed no way back now.
There was toil, Thiago Quintal looked busy, but the Jets now had the wind in their sails and were looking menacing every time they got the ball. The defiant Cove sang until the end, but it was in vain. Lolley’s departure after pulling up lame suggested that he had been introduced too early after his injury, and a bad afternoon had just got worse.
The players trudged across to pay the fans their respects, but this was painful. It was time to get out, but not until we had taken in the harness racing in the adjacent hippodrome, probably the most enjoyable sporting action of the day. The Cove crew made their way through the car park, we hopped in our car and made our way through the meagre crowd, turning back towards Sydney and straight back down the motorway to home.
So, Sydney FC well beaten today in one of our favourite away-day venues – this is a team that looks solid in defence but wafer-thin across the rest of the park, the complete opposite of last season’s entertainers. We can only commend Ufuk Talay on making changes to try and win it, but Lolley’s injury might be a dent in our hopes of achieving anything this season despite still occupying second spot against all odds.
Merry Christmas you crazy fools. Looking forward to a double-header next weekend after the festivities, and both Sydney FC teams will have a chance to make amends for this terrible round of results.