David Carney has set Newcastle alight with a straight-up
strike to beat Melbourne Victory 1-0 and continue the reigning champions'
A-League hoodoo at Hunter Stadium.
The veteran midfielder broke the deadlock in front of a
frustrated 10,087-strong crowd on Friday night, when Leonardo slipped him a
cheeky hand-off from a free-kick late in the second half.
It's now eight games and more than six years since the
Victory have won at this venue.
Victory coach Kevin Muscat deployed his full arsenal against
this season's surprise packets, though they lacked crispness despite their
class and larger share of possession.
Both sides started ferociously, with Newcastle moving well
by the aid of Carney, who after last week's trial at left-back was far more
useful.
The reinvigorated 31-year-old looked to net multiple times,
including a first-half right-foot blast that let Victory gloveman Danny Vukovic
off the hook when it narrowly cleared the bar.
But it was in the 75th minute when he delivered for the
hosts.
After earning a free-kick Carney walked away, but the
Brazilian coyly slipped it to his teammate outside the box for him to drive it
home.
It was a sorely needed goal after a scrappy affair when
Milos Trifunovic botched multiple chances.
Two chokes by the Serbian striker in two minutes cruelled
the Jets' hopes of an early lead.
The first golden opportunity came in the 19th when, one on
one with Vukovic, Trifunovic played it too casual and hit it straight into the
breadbasket of the Victory custodian, before failing to connect with the ball
off a well-weighted cross from Leonardo.
The Victory spoiled their own chances too in a game with a
total 33 shots on goal.
Fahid Ben Khalfallah, passed fit to play despite a neck
injury scare, sent a sizzler on target in the 23rd minute and was only denied
when well-performing Jets keeper Ben Kennedy got a fingertip to it.
Minutes later Kosta Barbarouses skipped past debutant
left-back Lachlan Jackson but was also denied by Kennedy at the near post,
before frontman Besart Berisha hit the woodwork.
Victory came out firing after the break reinserted
themselves and took control but still couldn't break the deadlock.
The ugly affair clearly wore on both managers, with the
fiery Muscat told at one point by referee Strebre Delovski to settle down.
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