A League Round 10 - Melbourne v Newcastle (Fri 25 Oct - 8:00pm)

[Beejayville]

Melbourne Victory v Newcastle Jets Date: Friday October 26 Kick-off (local time): 8.00pm Venue: Telstra Dome Radio coverage: SEN1116 (Melbourne), ABC 1233 (Newcastle) One look at the latest Hyundai A-League table tells you there's very little to choose between tonight's opponents Melbourne Victory and Newcastle Jets this season. They have identical win-draw-loss records after nine rounds (three wins, five draws and one loss) while when the sides met a month ago, the Jets scored twice in the first-half and the Victory twice in the second to earn a 2-2 draw. Archie Thompson, without the omnipotent presence of strike partner Daniel Allsopp because of fractured ribs, found the net for the first time this season in the teams' previous meeting and has scored three more times since to join four other players at the head of the goalscoring charts. The Qantas Socceroos striker, who turned 29 this week, also enjoyed a dazzling opening half-hour in the 2-1 win over Perth last week and was eventually awarded Melbourne's first goal after it was originally given to Rodrigo Vargas. Newcastle's Adam Griffiths and Stuart Musialik were the Jets' heroes in a rampaging first-half five weeks ago with both recalled from thigh and hamstring injuries although central defender Stephen Laybutt is left out of Gary van Egmond's provisional squad. Laybutt, whose debut was delayed at the start of the season, has been booked in each of his three past games and, if selected, must be watchful of a fourth caution in five games and ensuing one-match suspension. Melbourne starters Steve Pantelidis, who will be making his 50th Hyundai A-League appearance, Joe Keenan and recalled captain Kevin Muscat all find themselves in the same situation. Muscat failed a fitness test before last week's game but returns after a fortnight absence spent battling wrist, knee and thigh injuries with teenager Kaz Patafta the unlucky one dropping out. However, Ljubo Milicevic, back in training after a club-induced suspension, continues to rest a knee complaint with Daniel Piorkowski a long-term absentee with a shoulder injury. For Newcastle, Mario Jardel injured his back in training and misses out while teenage striker James Holland is replaced by Jobe Wheelhouse.

[Beejayville]

Re: A League Round 10 - Melbourne v Newcastle (Fri 25 Oct - 8:00pm) Head-to-head Seven league meetings: Melbourne - 2 wins, Newcastle - 3 wins, 2 draws Previous meeting Newcastle 2 Melbourne 2 (EnergyAustralia Stadium, Hyundai A-League round five, September 2007) Past five results Melbourne: Draw - Win - Win - Loss - Win Newcastle: Draw - Loss - Draw - Win - Draw Melbourne Victory Squad: 1.Michael THEOKLITOS (gk), 2.Kevin MUSCAT (Captain), 6.Steve PANTELIDIS, 7.Matthew KEMP, 8.Grant BREBNER, 9.Danny ALLSOPP, 10.Archie THOMPSON, 11.Joseph KEENAN, 12.Rodrigo VARGAS, 14.Adrian CACERES, 15.Leandro LOVE, 16.Carlos HERNANDEZ, 18.Leigh BROXHAM, 20.Eugene GALEKOVIC (gk), 21.Sebastian RYALL In: Kevin Muscat (returns from injury) Out: Kaz Patafta (omitted) Others Unavailable: Daniel Piorkowski (shoulder – 11 weeks), Ljubo Milicevic (knee – 2 weeks) Newcastle Jets Squad: 1.Ante COVIC (gk), 2.Adam GRIFFITHS, 3.Jade NORTH ©, 5.Stuart MUSIALIK, 6.Andrew DURANTE, 8.Matt THOMPSON, 9.Joel GRIFFITHS, 10.Denni 11.Tarek ELRICH, 13.Adam D’APUZZO, 14.Jobe WHEELHOUSE, 17.Troy HEARFIELD, 18.Noel SPENCER, 19.Mark BRIDGE, 20.Ben KENNEDY (GK) In: Adam Griffiths (Returns from Injury), Stuart Musialik Out: Paul Kohler (omitted), Mario Jardel (Injury – Back), James Holland (end of short-term loan), Stephen Laybutt (injured) Others Unavailable: Steve Eagleton (Injured) Impending stats, facts and trivia: Melbourne Victory will become the first club to record an aggregate attendance (home and away) of one million spectators in the Hyundai A-League. Leading into their home clash against Newcastle, a total of 992,784 spectators have attended a match featuring Melbourne Victory (54 matches), meaning that the 7,216th attendee on Friday will be number 1,000,000. In their 27 home matches so far, Melbourne's aggregate crowd is 659,554. Meanwhile, Victory defender Steve Pantelidis is expected to make his 50th Hyundai A-League appearance in this match.

[Beejayville]

Re: A League Round 10 - Melbourne v Newcastle (Fri 25 Oct - 8:00pm) WEB RADIO LIVE BROADCAST OF VICTORY/JETS TONIGHT SEN1116 (Melbourne) 1116am - www.sen.com.au ABC 1233 Newcastle (1233AM) – www.abc.net.au/newcastle

[Rockman]

Re: A League Round 10 - Melbourne v Newcastle (Fri 25 Oct - 8:00pm) jets 1 from first attack after victory started well.

[Beejayville]

Re: A League Round 10 - Melbourne v Newcastle (Fri 25 Oct - 8:00pm) Melbourne 0 Newcastle 2 (A Griffiths8, J Griffiths 88) Crowd: 27,123 Gary Van Egmond has continued his unbeaten record against Hyundai A-League champion Melbourne, guiding his Jets to a 2-0 win over a ten-man Victory outfit in a cracking match at Telstra Dome. Newcastle scored the early goal thanks to Adam Griffiths' eighth-minute header and then absorbed 81 minutes of pressure, before twin brother Joel sealed it in the 88th minute. They now move to outright second on the table, while Van Egmond has now led the Jets into battle four times against Melbourne for three wins and a draw. Melbourne's second loss of the season will be especially bitter considering the home side dominated the match, and in particular the second half. Steve Pantelidis' red card proved a decisive moment as the home side went the final 24 minutes a man down, and were unable to get back into the match. Van Egmond was delighted with the commitment and intelligence his players showed in the victory. Newcastle's night began badly when influential midfielder Stuart Musialik was indisposed with a stomach virus after the warm-up and was replaced by Noel Spencer. Matt Thompson then went in Matthew Breeze's book for a strong challenge on Carlos Hernandez in just the second minute. The resultant free kick from Joe Keenan caused considerable panic in the Jets defence, who went on the scramble clear the ball from inside their own box at least five times in the next few minutes as Melbourne pressured for an early goal. But instead it was Newcastle who got the opener with its first chance of the night. Kevin Muscat had given away the free kick just outside the box and Adam D'Apuzzo's free kick found Adam Griffiths unmarked in the box, leaving Michael Theoklitos no chance to save the header. It was the second time this season that Griffiths had scored an early goal against the Hyundai A-League champions having scored in the fourth minute of their encounter in Newcastle five weeks ago. Melbourne looked for a quick response, with Matthew Kemp prompting a save from Ante Covic and Hernandez shooting way over after a good combination with Archie Thompson while the Jets were using the counter-attack to great effect. Both Mark Bridge and Joel Griffiths made surging runs into the box, only for the Victory defence to cover. The frenetic early pace died down as the half wore on and the best Melbourne chances now came from set pieces and from down the right-hand side. Thompson had the best of them, having met Kemp's corner well with a solid header but Covic and Adam Griffiths stopped the ball going in. For the Jets, Denni was becoming more influential as the pace dropped and twice troubled Theoklitos, but couldn't extend the visitors' advantage before half time. Much more so than in the first half, the Jets were keen to sit on their lead in the second 45 minutes, while Melbourne tried to break them down, usually from the set piece. The Victory had two claims for penalties waved away by Matthew Breeze in the space of a few minutes and were beginning to look frustrated. In a decisive blow to the home side's chances of a comeback, the Victory went down to ten men on 66 minutes when Pantelidis elbowed Joel Griffiths, giving Breeze little option but to send the defender off in his 50th game. Ernie Merrick made an immediate switch, with Sebastian Ryall on for Grant Brebner, while Leandro Love replaced Allsopp in a bid to find an equaliser. The Brazilian had an immediate effect, heading wide from a Keenan cross on 74 minutes and smashing the ball over the top from just outside the box five minutes later. Another substitute, Adrian Caceres, rifled the ball straight at Covic but the Jets keeper just held on to preserve the lead. The result was settled after a Rody Vargas error gave the ball to Bridge. He set strike partner Joel Griffiths through, and the cool finish easily beat Theoklitos. Merrick said that he felt his team had played good enough football, but the goals just didn't come.