Melbourne Victory have clawed their way back from an early 2-0 deficit to draw 2-2 with the lowly Newcastle Jets at bogey ground Hunter Stadium.
A goalmouth floury in the first half saw Newcastle strike through Kew Jaliens and a Joel Griffiths penalty before Fahid Ben Khalfallah pinched one back for the visitors, before Besart Berisha’s goal in the opening stages of the second half restored parity.
The Jets settled the better of the two sides, and while their football wasn’t pretty, it was effective.
It was a laxidasical Victory that showed up in the opening half an hour with their best work coming in the fifth minute as left-back Daniel Georgievski whipped in a beautiful in-swinging cross on his wrong foot to tee up Berisha for the opener, but the striker couldn’t force his header goalwards.
It was Georgieveski’s opposite number Scott Neville – marauding down the right flank from defence – that put the away defence on notice after he bullied his way past a pair of Victory defenders, only to see the ball go out for a corner.
Set-pieces proved to be Newcastle’s most fruitful avenue on goals and former Socceroo David Carney was the mastermind as he mechanically delivered pin-point balls into the penalty area.
Nathan Coe – much maligned for his ability to meet crosses – should’ve recognized the warning signs after Carney’s delivery left the keeper clawing at thin air, with the ball lucky to drift out of play without too much damage.
It didn’t matter too much for the Jets who had that breakthrough on the half-hour mark with no prizes for how the goal came to pass.
Carneys in-swinging delivery from the right corner was flicked on from centre-half to centre-half as Taylor Regan nodded towards the advancing skipper Jaliens at the far post, who duly obliged with a rocket header into the back of the net.
That sparked life into a listless contest at Hunter Stadium as another Carney corner this time indirectly resulted in Newcastle’s second in the 33rd minute.
Where the foul was for the spot-kick is anybody’s guess, but it seemed as if match official Strebre Delovski took exception to a little arm tug on Scott Neville from Fahid Ben Khalfallah, which would’ve been harsh to say the very least.
Alas, the gifted penalty still had to be put away, and veteran forward Griffiths did it emphatically, smashing his shot to the right, just past the outstretched palm of Coe.
It proved to be the kick up the backside the Victory required as they struck back almost immediately.
Ben Khalfallah – eager to make up for his penalty exploits – was on hand to tap Kosta Barbarouses’ tracer bullet cross into an unguarded net.
The rest of the half belonged to the invigorated Melbourne, and Berisha had the perfect opportunity to send the sides into the break at a stalemate, but he cruely saw his left foot strike across goal hit the upright on its way out, with Birighitti left planted watching with equal curiosity.
Instead the Albanian international decided to do it just AFTER the break, with a goal that displayed everything the hit-man has shown since making his way to the league.
Showing poise, strength and his fabled clinical finishing, the Victory marquee held off a defender before striking a low strike across the hapless Birighitti, all after being played through by a sublime Ben Khalfallah assist.
All of a sudden it was a different ball game, Victory looked incisive, direct and dangerous, while the Jets looks every bit their league position as Milligan came inches away from his sides third, nodding Finkler’s set-piece just over the crossbar.
Carney came close at the other end, offered a yard of space by the hobbling Scott Galloway – who was eventually replaced by Dylan Murnane – but saw his drive from inside the area well blocked by a valiant Melbourne defence.
The game settled down to a gentle simmer as neither side could muster up the spark needed to make the all-important breakthrough
For the Victory, it was Barbarouses who looked the most likely as his fast feet caused trouble down the right flank but he ultimately couldn’t muster any clear cut chances.
The result would’ve disappointed Kevin Muscat and his Melbourne Victory side who could’ve gone outright top of the A-League ladder with the three points.
***
Newcastle Jets 2 (Jaliens 30’, Griffiths 33’) defeated by Melbourne Victory 2 (Khalfallah 36’, Berisha 47’) at
Newcastle Jets: 1. Mark BIRIGHITTI (GK), 2. Scott NEVILLE (21. Sam GALLAWAY 54’), 4. Kew JALIENS (c), 3. Taylor REGAN, 12. Sam GALLAGHER, 8. Zenon CARAVELLA, 5. Ben KANTAROVSKI, 18. Allan WELSH (10. Marcos FLORES 83′), 9. Joel GRIFFITHS (15. Andrew HOOLE 77’), 13. Edson MONTANO, 23. David CARNEY
Unused Substitutes: 20. Ben KENNEDY (GK), 7. Jeronimo NEUMANN
Yellow Cards: Welsh 63’, Montano 66’, Flores 90′
Red Cards: Nil
Melbourne Victory: 1. Nathan COE (GK), 24. Scott GALLOWAY (18. Dylan MURNANE 60’), 23. Adrian LEIJER (16. Rashid MAHAZI 77’), 6. Leigh BROXHAM, 15. Daniel GEORGIEVSKI, 21. Carl VALERI, 7. Gui FINKLER, 5. Mark MILLIGAN (c), 9. Kosta BARBAROUSES, 8. Besart BERISHA (10. Archie THOMPSON 70’), 14. Fahid BEN KHALFALLAH
Unused Substitutes: 20. Lawrence THOMAS (GK), 11. Connor PAIN
Yellow Cards: Leijer 75’
Red Cards: Nil