“I’m very pleased,” coach Ufuk Talay said. “I think the boys showed a lot of character this evening against Newcastle. Confidence can be low at times, especially when you’re not winning games, but I thought the boys were very disciplined. “We defended well, and I think Newcastle had a lot of ball but not in areas where they could hurt us, so it was a shift in character and most importantly we also got a clean sheet.
Ashley Feder/Getty Images
Ben Waine celebrates with Alex Rufer after scoring from outside the box to double the Phoenix’s lead.
Matthew Comito 1613905392,1613907441
As a player, as a fan and now as a head coach, Grant Brebner has seen it all at Melbourne Victory.
He s experienced the highs, he s endured the lows, and as he guides his club through one of its darkest hours, the Victory boss has challenged his players to follow his lead in fronting the criticism and hurt, using it as a tool to enact change.
Plagued by a misfiring attack speckled with stars, the plight of Brebner s side has deepened week by week as Victory remain stuck to the bottom of the A-League table with just one win, five goals, four points and a goal difference of minus eight after seven games.
Share on Twitter
The Jets struck through 50th-gamer Angus Thurgate in the 72nd minute but could easily have taken the advantage earlier - after having two massive penalty shouts controversially waved away in the second half.
Newcastle are now five games unbeaten, but it was a rough day from last-placed Victory - who have now lost five of their opening seven matches - in front of 5,166 fans.
Grant Brebner dropped skipper Leigh Broxham to the bench, with Adama Traore given the captain s armband, while Callum McManaman returned from injury.
Newcastle dominated possession early and put Victory on the back foot, but failed to capitalise - and as the half went on, McManaman was dominant on the right-wing, creating multiple chances.
Brisbane Roar may have come away with only a point from Redcliffe on Sunday, but it’s fans who should feel like the real winners thanks to a vastly improved match-day experience. With two goals disallowed and a few more excellent efforts wasted, you’d have to think the Roar were the only team that couldn’t score […]
a-league.com.au 1613372563,1613379482
Macarthur FC set the standard and Central Coast Mariners accepted the challenge in delivering stand-out displays in Matchweek 8 – but which players made the Team of the Week, presented by Bunnings Warehouse?
Bulls forward Matt Derbyshire fired himself into the Golden Boot race with a quick-fire hat-trick in a 4-0 victory against Adelaide United, before Alen Stajcic s table-toppers made short work of Wellington Phoenix with a 2-0 triumph in the Kiwi club s temporary home in Wollongong.
Brisbane Roar and the Newcastle Jets then put on a showcase in Redcliffe, both sides pushing for a winner with defences coming out on top in a 0-0 draw, to wrap up a three-game matchweek, following the postponement of two games on Saturday due to Victoria s five-day lockdown.