The Novacastrians have a habit of scoring late against Roar, most recently in the last encounter which was decided by an 83rd minute goal from Griffiths.

But the Dutch striker is determined to avoid the same thing happening again as he looks to help his team push clear of the current champions and into the finals zone.

He said: "It isn’t over until the referee blows for the last time," van Dijk said. "That’s the thing you have to be aware of as a team, just to keep each other awake till the end.

"We have to play the full 90 because Joel Griffiths is always watching for a chance to score and even in the last minute so we have to be aware.

"I hope we can score some goals early in the game so we don’t have to be afraid that we might lose or draw."

Van Dijk is relieved to be lining up against the Jets after a painful back injury in Wellington last weekend which had him fearing the worst.

He said: "It’s not that bad.

"The first moment I thought it was really bad because I think it was a nerve or something that was hit."

The news is a relief for coach Frank Farina, who has brought Roar Youth captain Adam Sarota into his squad to cover for injuries and international call-ups.

Sarota follows Matt Mundy’s step up to the senior team, with the strong defender likely to earn a third start this weekend.

But Farina said the call-ups weren’t a sign of desperation.

He said: "The game’s coming up and you’ve got to play so we’ll be going out there with the best available side we’ve got.

"(Sarota) can play virtually anywhere up front or in the midfield and he’s technically a very gifted player.

"He’s only still young and learning his trade but I think he’s going to have a future if he continues on the way he is."

Meanwhile, the former Socceroo coach said he didn’t have any special plans to keep Griffiths under wraps on Sunday.

"Not really, apart from a shovel in the dressing room beforehand maybe," he joked.

"He’s a bit of a naughty boy , Joel, on occasions, particularly (scoring) against us.

"But he’s a good player and that’s what Newcastle pay him to do so we’ve just got to hope we’re our on our game and can stop his."