Ben
Kantarovski has enabled Newcastle to snatch a point from A-League leaders
Brisbane in an entertaining end-to-end 1-1 draw at Hunter Stadium.
It was a
high-stakes encounter on Saturday between a side looking to go equal top and
another out to extend their lead by four points.
Jamie
Maclaren appeared to have ensured a Roar victory when, in the 52nd minute and
against the run of play, Brandon Borrello played the striker into the box.
He isolated
Mark Birighitti with a touch before rolling past the Jets' goalkeeper into the
far corner.
But
Newcastle held their composure and gave the 10,115-strong crowd what they were
after with 19 minutes to go.
From a David
Carney corner, Kantarovski latched onto Lachlan Jackson's deflected header and
put away his second goal of the season.
It was
reward for the thinly stretched home side. Their brave midfield's crunching and
scrapping gave away few cheap shots despite Brisbane lurking dangerously.
The couple
that came were in the first four minutes when the league's most-prolific
gloveman Birighitti made two critical saves.
Brisbane
utilised a stiff breeze when Thomas Broich drove a great strike from 25m out
before Maclaren stung the Jets' custodian's palms at closer range.
Birighitti
came under heightened pressure as Newcastle's makeshift backline laboured
without captain Nigel Boogaard (ankle), while Braedyn Crowley made a nervy
start up front in place of striker Milos Trifunovic (knee).
Crowley
almost had a magical moment in his debut A-League start when he rushed onto an
Enver Alivodic cross.
But the
19-year-old somehow missed a point-blank shot from a mere metre out, put off by
a crucial touch from Jade North.
The woodwork
was given a workout at both ends, as Carney's delightful left-foot strike hit
the crossbar flush and Dimitri Petratos struck the other upright a few minutes
later.
Roar coach
John Aloisi should be more pleased with the free-flowing display than last
week's 90 minutes of "anti-football" with Melbourne City, with the
Jets conceding only seven fouls to the visitors' 15.
It was his
own team who played slightly more cynically in the second half as they
protected their lead.
Daniel
Bowles was lucky not to be sent off with 30 minutes to go when he tackled
Leonardo rugby style and picked up a yellow card for his efforts.
But the
match opened back up with Kantarovski's equaliser and the introduction of
Henrique, who earned a free-kick in extra-time, only for Birighitti to save the
day again, denying Corona's curler.
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