Jets beat Sydney to close on A-league Men premiership
Newcastle Jets edged Sydney FC 2-1 in an a-league Round 22 clash at Allianz Stadium on Sunday as Ben Gibson bundled home the winner in stoppage time. The result keeps Mark Milligan’s Jets top of the table with a four-point cushion and moves them closer to an A-League Men premiership and an Asian Champions League Elite berth. Sydney, now winless in three, sit fifth with four games remaining.
A-league match turning points
The decisive moments came late. Kota Mizunuma opened the scoring for Newcastle with a powerful strike from outside the box in the 32nd minute and Sydney responded through Tiago Quintal’s 68th-minute finish after a pass from Pedro Quispe. A Sydney penalty was later chalked off for offside, and in the 94th minute Xavier Bertoncello broke clear and teed up Ben Gibson for the winner.
Rhyan Grant thought he had snatched an equaliser in the 97th minute, but the Sky Blues skipper — making his 400th appearance — was flagged offside and the goal was ruled out. The stoppage-time winner handed Newcastle a vital three points and left Sydney searching for answers with little time left in the regular season.
Immediate reactions
Max Burgess, Jets skipper, Newcastle Jets: “It was massive. They threw so much at us in the second half – we had to suffer a lot. I thought we were still brave with the ball in hard moments and I’m just so proud of the boys who came off the bench and won us the match in the end. ” Burgess was named man-of-the-match after a standout performance in midfield.
Rhyan Grant, Sydney skipper, Sydney FC: “It’s been a pretty big week in terms of that milestone… obviously with the football it’s pretty disappointing. It was very disappointing in terms of results and where we’re sitting at the moment in terms of the season. But there’s still a few games to go so hopefully we can turn it around and get a roll on. ” Grant reflected on his personal milestone and the team’s immediate priorities.
What’s next
The victory puts Newcastle on 43 points, four clear of Auckland on 39, with Melbourne Victory and Adelaide on 35, narrowing the path to an ACL Elite spot and the A-League Men premiership. Newcastle face a quick turnaround away to Macarthur on Thursday night while Sydney travel to Brisbane, both with the season entering its final stretch. With Sydney linked to coaching speculation around Ufuk Talay’s future at rivals, the coming fixtures will have immediate significance for both clubs’ final positions in the a-league.
