Four-star Newcastle Jets whip second-rate Western Sydney Wanderers

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:36 am

Tony Feder/Getty Images

Tony Feder/Getty Images

Newcastle have stymied Josep Gombau's shortlived A-League revival, cutting a second-rate Western Sydney down to size in a 4-0 win.

The Jets demonstrated on Friday night exactly why they remained second and within touching distance of the Sydney FC machine.

Youngster Johnny Koutroumbis scored from a cracking strike and Jason Hoffman, Ben Kantarovski and Steven Ugarkovic added the rest at McDonald Jones Stadium.

Twelve rounds in, Ernie Merrick's men have eclipsed by one the 28 goals they managed over all of last season's wooden-spoon campaign.

The Wanderers have conceded nine goals in their past three games.

Part of Friday's appeal was that the VAR, for once, was conspicuous in its absence.

The other feature missing from last week's win at Central Coast was Western Sydney's desire, and Gombau's sorry side averted a more embarrassing scoreline thanks to their hosts' inability to convert their myriad of chances.

"We did a very bad game from the start to the end," Gombau said.

"Disappointing ... we lost every 50-50 ball, every challenge, every battle."

The Jets, by contrast, were young and quick and in the mood, their stirring display all the more impressive, given injured strikers Roy O'Donovan and Ronny Vargas remained sidelined.

Only five minutes in, stand-in marksman Andrew Nabbout nestled the ball into the corner of Vedran Janjetovic's net, courtesy of an incisive cross from Dimi Petratos.

Although the linesman rightly ruled Nabbout offside, it was only a few more passages before he'd notched an assist.

The square-up from the left flank found Koutroumbis in space on the edge of the penalty area, the 19-year-old taking two quick touches before adding the final, deadly flourish that left Janjetovic bewildered.

The goalkeeper was not helped by his side's static defence and confusion over how to curb the influence of Petratos who, at one point, barrelled a long-range strike a whisker too high.

By the break, Ugarkovic had hit the upright from distance and the Jets were leading the shot count 11-3, a lop-sided sum that blew out to 21-7 by full-time.

"It was complete domination," Merrick said. "We put the opposition under so much pressure."

The Wanderers' sole shot on target did not come until the 42nd minute, when Mark Bridge's free header was easily dealt with.

Gombau opted for half-time changes, replacing Brendon Santalab with Oriol Riera and tweaking his formation.

The result was renewed vigour and Keanu Baccus, redistributed from holding midfield to right-back, set up Riera to divert a shot marginally wide.

But Newcastle had already doubled their lead three minutes earlier via Hoffman, who finished a gritty battle in which the hosts won three 50-50 challenges.

Kantarovski put in a third goal off a corner and saved the best until last as Nabbout broke on the counter and Petratos offered a silky backheel for Ugarkovic.