Glory’s Billy Celeski will be the most frustrated man in Australia tonight after he and Nicky Rizzo created chance after chance for their side, but lacked the firepower upfront to make them count.

“We’re a bit disappointed we peppered the goal but that’s how it goes,” said Perth skipper Simon Colosimo after the game.

“We didn’t settle for a draw and I’m just glad the boys kept going. We had a couple of great chances in the first half and couldn’t stick it in.”

Newcastle’s Mark Bridge denied his team had used spoiling tactics to snatch a point away from home.

“We didn’t come just for the draw,” he said. “We’re an entertaining team and wanted the win but it doesn’t always go the way you want it.

“Perth’s always a hard away trip and we didn’t have many options upfront because of injuries.”

Perth made the brighter start in cold, wet and windy conditions at Members Equity Stadium and a mistake by Adam Griffiths in defence gave Glory their first real shot at goal but it was ably saved by Ante Covic.

Celeski brought down Joel Griffiths for the game’s first yellow as the Jets forward sprinted towards the Perth goal.

But the Glory defence mopped up the freekick and countered quickly, with Mate Dragicevic through on goal after a great run but he hesitated on the ball and the chance was lost.

David Tarka went down in agony just 15 minutes into the match with an apparent pulled hamstring as he pursued Jobe Wheelhouse, leaving Perth with yet more injury woes.

Ten men Glory battled on for three minutes as medics tried unsuccessfully to patch up Tarka until he was replaced by Mitchell Prentice and a reshaped defence.

Perth continued to make quick darting runs upfield, but it took a great cross in from Naum Sekulovski into the near post to put Jets in danger. The cross found Dragicevic and the shot forced a reflex save from Covic to deny the home side an opener.

Just seconds later though, another good ball into the box from Jamie Coyne on the opposite flank again found Dragicevic whose header went just past the post.

Perth continued to apply all the pressure but without reward while a strong defence and an effective offside trap denied Jets any headway in attack.

Tarek Elrich made a brave attempt at a long range shot from outside the box in a rare Jets move, but it was easily gathered up by Tommi Tomich.

Jets forced their way back into the game more towards the end of the first half but neither side was able to break the stalemate.

Sekulowski came closest when he connected with a Prentice pass outside the box and let loose with a drive which powered past the Newcastle goal.

Jets newcomer Denni Rocha dos Santos almost scored on his debut when he collected a lovely pass from Joel Griffiths but pressure from Coyne was just enough to put Denni off and it went behind with an open goal in front of him.

Perth attacked from the second half kick-off, with Adam Griffiths beaten for pace by Celeski in the box.

He put a classy cross across goal for young Nikita Rukavytsya but it came in at an awkward height and deflected off his raised shin pad to go behind, a great chance squandered.

Celeski again showed his crossing skills moments later but this time there was no-one there to connect, despite the Newcastle defence having gone AWOL.

Jets back Andrew Durrante was replaced after 50 minutes by Adam D’Apuzzo when he went down awkwardly in a challenge on Celeski and had to hobble off the field.

Newcastle still showed some degree of danger though, despite Glory’s domination.

Bridge ran onto a fantastic ball from Joel Griffiths for the best chance of the game, but he slid onto it and drilled it past the post with the goalie beaten.

Perth were relentless in their pressure though, but lacked bodies in the box to make the most of the service midfield were supplying.

Rukavytsya forced a save from Covic after a lightning run upfield from a Jets corner to slam home a shot but Covic was up to the task.

At the other end Mark Bridge should have opened his account when he got past Topor-Stanley to be one on one with Tomich and very nearly nutmegged him.

The Glory ‘keeper fumbled his save, but just got back in time to pluck the spinning ball from the goal-line.

Leo Bertos reminded Jets of the danger Glory presented with a powerful blast from outside the box which agonisingly whistled just inches over the bar.

Joel Griffiths repeated the feat at the other end, but only succeeded in winning a corner which came to nothing.

Rizzo replaced Sekulowski after 70 minutes as Glory stepped up their search for a goal.

He made his mark a few minutes later with a dangerous ball from the left wing that got right through the Newcastle defence, but once again, no-one could slot it home.

Jimmy Downey replaced Rukavytsya as Glory’s last throw of the dice in the 77th minute. Jet Jobe Wheelhouse followed him into the dressing room with an injury shortly after and was swapped for Noel Spencer.

Glory stepped up the pressure once more late in the game with a series of attacks and won a succession of corners but there was to be no breakthrough for them.

Jets hung on grimly for the full-time whistle as the much-stronger Perth threw everything at them.

But Newcastle had just enough left in reserve to hold them at bay and steal a point away from home, while Perth will definitely see it as two points lost.

FourFourTwo View:
This was actually too frustrating to be a no-score snore draw. So many good chances wasted, so many good balls into the box gone begging. The Perth strikers look like they might be good value but need to polish their finishing in front of goal. The Jets need Jardel to get fit as soon as possible - and make sure he packed his shooting boots. Joel Griffiths was the main leading light for the Jets but he needs someone to work with. Jets don't want a repeat of last season's start.



Full time
Perth Glory 0
Newcastle Jets 0
Members Equity Stadium, Perth
Crowd: 8508

Perth Glory: 2.Nikolai TOPOR-STANLEY, 3.David TARKA (15.Mitchell PRENTICE 20’), 4.Simon COLOSIMO (Captain), 6.Dino DJULBIC, 9.Mate DRAGICEVIC, 10.Billy CELESKI, 12.Leo BERTOS, 13.Nikita RUKAVYTSYA (17.Jimmy DOWNEY 77’), 14.Jamie COYNE, 19.Naum SEKULOVSKI (16.Nick RIZZO 70’), 50.Tommi TOMICH (gk).

Substitutes not used: 30.Tando VELAPHI (gk)

Yellow Cards: Billy CELESKI 12’


Newcastle Jets: 1.Ante COVIC (gk), 2.Adam GRIFFITHS, 3.Jade NORTH (Captain), 5.Stuart MUSIALIK, 6.Andrew DURANTE (13.Adam D’APUZZO 53’), 8.Matt THOMPSON, 9.Joel GRIFFITHS, 10. DENNI (7.Jorge DROVANDI 63’), 11.Tarek ELRICH, 14.Jobe WHEELHOUSE (18 Noel SPENCER 81’), 19.Mark BRIDGE

Substitutes not used: 40.Ben MacNamara (GK)

Yellow Cards: Andrew DURANTE 49’, Matt THOMPSON 54’