Newcastle Jets strike late to see off Western Sydney Wanderers

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:18 am

Teenager Angus Thurgate has proved the match-winner again as Newcastle Jets edged out Western Sydney Wanderers 2-0 at McDonald Jones Stadium.

The 19-year-old, who scored in Newcastle's last-start 1-0 win over Western United, came on in the 63rd minute on Saturday night and struck on the turn in a goalmouth scramble on 15 minutes later. He then beat the offside trap near halfway before setting up Dimi Petratos for a tap-in and the match sealer in the 86th.

The round-eight performance continues an amazing run for Thurgate who scored the clincher in a 3-2 victory over the Wanderers last season. His three A-League goals have all come in matches won by the Jets. Western Sydney were frustrated when denied a penalty on review after Kwame Yeboah went down close to goal under a challenge from Lachlan Jackson in the 53rd minute.

Newcastle Jets scored two goals in the last 15 minutes to beat Western Sydney Wanderers.
Getty

The visitors went closest to scoring when Jets keeper Glen Moss made a double save to deny Mitchell Duke and Yeboah, before Duke hit a third chance over the bar in the 62nd minute.

Newcastle had the better chances in a first half where Wanderers goalkeeper Daniel Lopar starred. Jason Hoffman (15th minute) and Nick Fitzgerald (31st) were one-on-one with Lopar but the Swiss shot-stopper smothered both attempts. He also denied further chances from Panamanian striker Abdiel Arroyo and Fitzgerald before the break, the second with a spectacular full-stretch effort.

Moss had little to do in the opening half but he stood tall in the 45th minute when rising to tip a Duke rocket onto the crossbar.

The loss extended the Wanderers (10 points) winless streak to four-games after starting win three straight victories, while Newcastle rise to seventh on the ladder with eight points from six games.