Melbourne Victory fell to a 1-0 loss to the Newcastle Jets in the A-League on Sunday.
Summary
A second-half goal from Angus Thurgate was all that separated the teams at AAMI Park.
Victory saw three players – Storm Roux, Nick Ansell and Adama Traore – suffer suspected injuries in the defeat.
Newcastle made the better start, although Victory defended well despite Matthew Millar threatening twice.
Victory built as the half went on and Ryan Shotton headed a Jake Brimmer corner over in the 21st minute.
There were a pair of chances for Victory five minutes later as Callum McManaman, making his return from injury, was denied by Jets goalkeeper Jack Duncan before Brimmer had a follow-up blocked.
Victory shot-stopper Max Crocombe denied Thurgate before Luis Lawrie-Lattanzio and Leigh Broxham, who replaced Storm Roux in the first half, put tough chances wide prior to the break.
The host went close again four minutes into the second half, McManaman’s 25-yard effort tipped onto the post by Duncan.
But Victory needed a brilliant double save from Crocombe in the 67th minute, the goalkeeper denying Roy O’Donovan and Valentino Yuel.
The Jets took the lead five minutes later through Thurgate, who drilled into the bottom corner from just inside the area after a pass from Yuel, and Newcastle saw out its win.
Player in focus
What they said – Crocombe
on injuries…
“It’s basically what’s happened to us all season, we’ve not had much luck with injuries, but it’s just one of them where it’s not quite falling for us at the moment.”
on his performance…
“I think there were a number of good performances on the pitch. I think it’s just one of them, we’re in the games 20, 30 minutes to go, we’re just falling short at the moment. We just need something to turn that around for us, a little bit of luck, a bit of quality. We’re in games, we’re not far off it, it’s just towards the end sometimes we’re just falling short.”
on form…
“There was pressure on us in pre-season. We knew that. We play for Melbourne Victory, we know that the standards of this club demands a lot higher from us. Within the dressing room everyone’s hurting, we’ve been hurting the whole season and no-one shies away from that, we all front up and we all realise we’ve got to get better. I think we were better today again, I just think the only way we get out of it is more and more hard work and more honesty and everyone individually just raising their performances.”
Result
Hyundai A-League 2020/21
Melbourne Victory 0
Newcastle Jets 1 (Angus Thurgate 72′)
Melbourne Victory: Crocombe (gk); Roux (Broxham 38′), Ansell (Ryan 59′), Shotton, Traore (c); Butterfield; McManaman (Folami 68′), Brimmer, Kirdar, Kruse; Lawrie-Lattanzio (Gestede 68′).
Newcastle Jets: Duncan (gk); Millar, Koutroumbis, Boogaard (c), Topor-Stanley, O’Toole; Thurgate, Ugarkovic; O’Donovan (Goodwin 86′), Najjarine (Prso 62′), Yuel (Abbas 90+2′).
Yellow cards: Roux 29′, Boogaard 41′, Thurgate 56′, Millar 86′
Red cards: Nil
Attendance: TBA
Venue: AAMI Park
Next up
Victory is back at AAMI Park on Wednesday, February 24, when it hosts Wellington Phoenix.
