Jets down Bulls for narrow victory | The Football Sack

Newcastle Jets hung on for a tight 1-0 win over Macarthur FC on Saturday night at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.

In a game with nearly two hours of delays, a goal inside the opening ten minutes proved to be the difference between the sides.

The Jets got off to a great start opening the scoring within eight minutes. Bulls defender Jonathan Aspropotamitis miss-cleared a right-sided cross into the path of Trent Buhagiar who fired home from close range.

The side came close again four minutes later as Beka Mikeltadze’s shot from the edge of the box flew narrowly past the left post.

However, Newcastle’s bright start to the match was halted around a quarter of an hour in as lightning lit up the sky around Campbelltown Sports Stadium with the game delayed. It was almost 90 minutes before the game resumed.

The resumption was only brief with the teams called back into the sheds as more lightning struck close to the stadium which was followed by a 15-minute delay.

Macarthur almost restored parity in the 45^th minute with Aspropotamitis shovelling a shot from inside the box that Jack Duncan batted away as the Jets went into halftime with the lead.

The Bulls built their way into the game in the first 15 minutes of the second half putting the Newcastle defence under pressure on several occasions. The side’s pressure nearly paid off just after the hour mark as Ulises Davila’s cross from the right by-line found Jed Drew at the back post, but the youngster headed over.

The hosts had another chance in the 75^th minute through substitute Ali Auglah who skipped around a challenge in the right of the box. The winger taking aim from a narrow angle and blasting the ball over the bar.

Macarthur carried on probing to get back into the game with the Jets dropping deeper into their own defensive third as the game dragged on. Newcastle held firm in the end to claim all three points away from home.

The victory pushes Arthur Pappas’ side three points ahead of Macarthur into seventh, while the Bulls sit three points below a finals position after this result.

Macarthur FC 0

Newcastle Jets 1 (Trent Buhagiar 8’)

Stadium: Campbelltown Sports Stadium

Referee: Stephen Lucas

Assistant Referees: Owen Goldrick and Matthew McOrist

Fourth Official: Sam Kelly

Macarthur FC: Filip KURTO (GK), Jonathan ASPROPOTAMITIS (Jake MCGING 66’), 7. Daniel DE SILVA, 8. Jake HOLLMAN, Bachana ARABULI (Ali AUGLAH 57’), Ulises DAVILA (C), Ivan VUJICA, Aleksandar SUSNJAR, Craig NOONE (Jed DREW 57’), Al Hassan TOURE (Rhys YOULLEY 80’), Matthew MILLAR

Unused subs: Nicholas SUMAN (GK), Oliver JONES

Newcastle Jets FC: Jack DUNCAN (GK), Dane INGHAM (Thomas AQUILINA 62’), Jason HOFFMAN (Mark NATTA 84’), Matthew JURMAN (C), Trent BUHAGIAR (Phillip CANCAR 84’), Beka MIKELTADZE, Jaushua SOTIRIO (Manabu SAITO 62’), Mohamed AL-TAAY, Kostandinos GROZOS (Beka DARTSMELIA 74’), Carl JENKINSON, Angus THURGATE

Unused subs: Daniel STYNES, Michael WEIER (GK)

Feature Image Credit: Sproule Sports Focus

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