Captain Cassidy Davis Strikes Early but Jets Succumb to Adelaide Comeback
Newcastle Jets captain Cassidy Davis delivered a moment of brilliance, but it wasn't enough to prevent her side from letting a golden opportunity slip through their fingers. In a tightly contested A-League Women's encounter at No.2 Sportsground on Wednesday evening, the Jets fell to a 2-1 defeat against Adelaide United after leading for much of the match.
Davis Opens the Scoring in Dominant First Half
The Jets started strongly, enjoying sustained periods of pressure and dominating possession with crisp passing sequences. They repeatedly turned Adelaide's defence around, creating several promising chances. Sophie Hoban rattled the crossbar with a fierce strike, while Libby Copus-Brown forced a smart save in a one-on-one situation.
It was captain Cassidy Davis who broke the deadlock in the 27th minute. Positioned unmarked near the penalty spot, she coolly converted a cross into the area following an Adelaide turnover. Her rising left-footed shot crashed into the roof of the net, sending the home crowd into raptures and giving Newcastle a deserved 1-0 lead.
Defensively, the Jets were well-organised throughout the first half, shutting down Adelaide's attacks with ease. Matildas representative Tash Prior was particularly influential, often at the heart of the action to nullify any threats.
Adelaide's Second-Half Surge Turns the Tide
The second half began with Newcastle continuing to press. Kelli Brown went close in the 57th minute, just failing to connect with a flighted cross. Less than a minute later, she forced another save before firing her follow-up attempt into the side netting.
However, the momentum shifted dramatically on the hour mark. Against the run of play, Adelaide substitute and Irish international Erin Healy found the equaliser, making it 1-1. Healy continued to trouble the Jets defence, testing goalkeeper Anna Leat with a long-range effort that was parried away in the 66th minute.
Newcastle responded with a double substitution, introducing Lauren Allan and Josie Allan for fresh legs. But barely a minute later, Adelaide struck again. In the 73rd minute, Carina Rossi managed to get the final touch in a goal-line scramble, putting the visitors ahead 2-1.
The Jets pushed hard for a late equaliser. Lauren Allen went close in the dying stages of regular time, and deep into five minutes of injury time, the Adelaide keeper made a crucial foot save to deny a goal-bound effort. Despite their late rally, Newcastle couldn't find the breakthrough, leaving them to rue missed opportunities.
Ladder Implications and Looking Ahead
This result had significant implications for the congested A-League Women's ladder. A victory would have temporarily propelled the sixth-ranked Jets to within one point of the leaders. Instead, Adelaide leapfrogged them, moving to fourth place with 17 points, one point ahead of the now seventh-placed Jets on 16 points.
The Jets have now collected six competition points from their last four fixtures over a fortnight, with all points coming from away wins against Sydney FC and Melbourne City. They suffered home losses to Central Coast and Adelaide in that same period.
Newcastle will look to bounce back when they welcome Wellington to No.2 Sportsground on February 1. The match attracted a crowd of 1130 spectators, who witnessed an entertaining contest under clear summer skies, with evening sunshine giving way to floodlights as the game progressed.
