Newcastle Jets drove a nail further into the coffin of Melbourne Victory’s dire season, dishing out a 3-1 loss at AAMI Park. Ryan Griffiths and a double from midfielder Jacob Pepper would have the Jets firmly in control by half-time. Victory winger Harry Kewell would score his side’s only goal from the penalty spot.

Melbourne Victory

1. Bright start

The opening 20 minutes of the game saw Victory have the majority of play; all that was missing was the finishing. This has been the case all season, and yet the same wasteful things are happening. In this game, there were moments for Victory, but the final touch was missing. Plenty has been made of Victory’s attacking wealth, but the missed opportunities have been stunning. It also shows the importance of the team as one, rather than attacking trios.

2. No attitude

At half-time and being 3-1 down, I thought Victory had shown enough in attack to work themselves back into the game and force something from it. It’s the optimist in me. But the players weren’t as optimistic as I was and came out looking a defeated team. That is worrying, even if a team isn’t doing well, a key test is the effort put in, and I think Victory flunked that test. You can criticise coaching moves etc. but it all starts with the players.

3. Oh Matt Kemp

The full-back disgraced himself after being substituted for Leigh Broxham on the 41st minute, making his disgust for his coach and team-mates clear by storming off the ground. I can understand him being frustrated if he was playing well and taken off. But when all three goals come from his flank, you take the responsibility for it, not anyone else. It has been a sad fall from grace for Kemp and I feel bad for him, but I don’t see any future for him at Melbourne Victory.  

4. Horrid defence

Slack, sloppy, almost beyond words how bad defending led to all three of the Newcastle goals. The same mistakes being made from early rounds are being made now. Question is why hasn’t anything been done about it. It has helped to bring the whole season unstuck from the dizzying expectations pre season. Petar Franjic is a young talent and should be persisted with, the same goes for Matt Foschini. Fabio is sorely missed on the left side and Ubay Luzardo hasn’t settled. It is all shambolic in the least.

5. Season‘s end can’t come quick enough

Leaving the stadium, I can’t remember such anger shown from the terraces. It is now clear the season is over. Miserable showings from the side have stunned the fans, leaving many flattened by it. It is now time for Victory to learn from the myriad of mistakes from this campaign and the board needs to be decisive, starting with making a decision on Jim Magilton and appointing a Director of Football.

 

Newcastle Jets

1. Defence rocky early

Nikolai Topor-Stanley and Tiago Calvano lined up in central defence and took a while to get sorted as Victory went on the attack early. But they would settle down to deny any real chances for Victory in the second half. They were also helped by Victory’s failure to do anything forward, lacking that final touch. Both Topor-Stanley and Calvano are key to the van Egmond side, both playing the ball out and starting play from their half.

2. Predatory in front of goal

Jacob Pepper and Ryan Griffiths would give Victory a lesson in how to take chances, as glimpses at goal were few and far between in the opening 20 minutes. It wouldn’t stop the Jets from ending the game by half-time though. Griffiths’ goal came off a cross from Zadkovich and taking it past Victory defenders and Ante Covic, an opportunistic, well worked goal. Both Pepper’s goals saw him arriving late in the penalty area as the Victory defenders played the role of statues. All goals were at the most cutting times and gave the Jets a memorable away trip.

3. Crucial midfield, dynamic wide

Pepper, Kantarovski and Wheelhouse lined up in midfield and managed to get a hold on the game when it mattered, helped along by full-backs and wingers Byun, Zadkovich, Elrich and Griffiths. Pepper had a huge say in the game with a double, but most (if not all) of the damage came from that right side as Zadkovich attacked Kemp from full-back. Their dynamic left and right flanks will be a huge key for them come finals time, if they make it of course (which I believe they will).

4. An away win

I couldn’t help but laugh after hearing about the travelling Jets fans singing “we’re winning away, we’re winning away, how s**t you must be, we’re winning away”. Part of the football humour that I love. In all seriousness, they have had a shocking run away from home this season, but turned that around with a brave 1-0 away to Brisbane in Round 17, a 5-2 win in Sydney and now this win in Melbourne. It has now left them all set for a big finals campaign to come.

5. Set for finals

They have control of their own destiny in regard to what they can achieve this season, which is more than I can say for Victory. They are in that 6th spot and a game ahead of their nearest challenger, Sydney FC. Their situation is to their advantage, but if they drop any of their next three games, Sydney will get a sniff. Their away game to Sydney has the potential to be the last-spot decider on the final day of the regular season.