Despite a dominant performance from start to finish, the Newcastle Jets have had to settle for a share of the spoils after an entertaining 0-0 draw with Western United at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
With medical staff deciding to give Wes Hoolahan another week on the sidelines, there was only the one change to the Jets lineup as Johnny Koutroumbis came in for the injured Lachlan Jackson.
The home side started the game in a positive fashion and Bobby Burns went close in just the second minute when his measured volley went just wide of Filip Kurto’s post, before Burns turned provider in the 17th minute as his cross found the head of Abdiel Arroyo, but the striker could not find the target.
With both sides feeling the heat, there were two drinks breaks in each half, but they did little to disrupt the Jets as they continued to dominate possession and create chances, with skipper Nigel Boogaard glancing over a Petratos corner, before Topor-Stanley was unlucky not to steer the ball home at the back post after being found by a Petratos freekick.
The score remained 0-0 at the halftime break, but it was more of the same in the second period as the Jets controlled proceedings and should have taken the lead in the 49th minute when Jason Hoffman’s deflected cross found Petratos in front of goal, but he couldn’t divert the cross goalwards and the chance went begging.
Kurto was then called upon twice in the space of four minutes to first deny Kantarovski in the 51st minute, before coming off his line to smother Hoffman’s attempt in the 55th as the Jets did everything but hit the back of the net.
The Western United shotstopper was called into action once again in the 69th minute when Petratos found space in behind and drove a powerful effort on goal, but Kurto stood tall and parried the effort away.
Kaine Sheppard was introduced as the Jets tried to find the goal their performance deserved and when his delicate cross found Millar in the box in the 75th minute, the fullback could not steer his effort on goal whilst Arroyo was inches away from turning it home at the far post.
Angus Thurgate was also introduced as the Jets chased a winner, and the substitute was teed up by Burns on the edge of the area in the 78th minute, but his well-struck effort beat Kurto, but went agonisingly wide of the post.
Despite amassing 26 shots throughout the 90 minutes, there was to be no winner for the Jets as Western United held on to frustrate the home side and claim a share of the points.
The Jets will now turn their attentions to next week’s #F3Derby as we host the Central Coast Mariners in Round 18 on Sunday 9 February at McDonald Jones Stadium.
