Adelaide United had nothing to show for its dominance after registering a 0-0 draw with the Newcastle Jets on Sunday, yet incidentally did end a four-game losing streak.
The Reds had to settle for a share of the spoils, despite the visitors failing to trouble goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic on his return from the sidelines in front of a decent crowd attendance of 10,048.
In what was a first-half where chances were few and far between, it was the home side which showed more of the initiative, controlling possession and creating a handful of opportunities.
Craig Goodwin appeared the most threatening for the Reds and came close to breaking the deadlock on two occasions. First when he was through on goal, but was thwarted by a sensational tackle from Nigel Boogaard and then when the 23-year-old found a yard of space to fire a curling effort straight into the gloves of Newcastle’s Mark Birighitti.
The second 45 also yielded a shortage of openings, although Jimmy Jeggo was unfortunate not to have scored following two strikes where he was agonisingly denied by the exceptional Mark Birighitti.
Newcastle, who could not muster a shot on target during the encounter, had a goal ruled out for offside when Jason Hoffman thought his header was the winner in stoppage time.
The results leaves Adelaide still languishing at the bottom of the table, while the Jets remain undefeated on the road and lie in fifth place.
READ MORE: A-League – What We Learned – Adelaide United 0 Newcastle Jets 0
Team news
Guillermo Amor utilised his traditional 4-3-3 formation and named virtually an unchanged lineup, with the exception of the returning club captain and goalkeeper Galekovic. The 34-year-old opted to have surgery on a persistent knee complaint just before the A-League’s inception, which forced him to miss the first six weeks. However, the surprising decision to keep playmaker Marcelo Carrusca on the bench for a second consecutive week in favour of youngster George Mells remains a major talking point. The Argentine has been underwhelming in comparison to the impressive form he is often renowned for, but it is certainly a statement of intent from the Barcelona legend in Amor, highlighting he is prepared to bench even the biggest names irrespective of their reputation.
As for Newcastle, coach Scott Miller also kept faith with a 4-3-3 system, however, with a two-man pivot screening the back four in Mateo Poljak and Cameron Watson. The defensive unit worked quite effectively, which was made manifest by the fact that United only tested Birighitti from distance and rarely troubled the ex-Red in one-on-one situations. Like their counterpart the Jets made just the one change, with Ben Kantarovski returning for the visitors at the expense of the injured Leonardo.
Adelaide unable to convert its chances
The Reds recorded 11 shots during proceedings but could not convert any of the opportunities that arose, a testament to the brilliance of Mark Birighitti between the sticks. From those 11 attempts, nine of them did occur outside the 18-yard-box, with four on target and forcing the Newcastle custodian into executing a catalogue of impressive saves. The best chance of the match fell to Jeggo, although question marks remain whether it was a shot or cross. The reigning Young Player of the Year recipient saw his curling effort remarkably parried around the post by the outstretched fingertips of Birighitti, after the perceived cross initially evaded everyone inside the area.
Jets throwing bodies on the line a sight to behold
Newcastle appeared to have made a concerted effort to quickly press and restrict Adelaide’s space in advanced positions. The Jets made a number of crucial blocks denying the Reds to fire their shots at Birighitti, also preventing crosses and key passes in tight areas of the field. It was this desire to hunt the ball and nullify the opposition’s involvement which is something boss Miller was delighted by after the match. The side from the Hunter Valley region had 13 blocks to the South Australian’s eight, which further facilitated the former Varese shot-stopper’s job and why the Reds could again not play with a free-flowing tempo they were synonymous with in the past, particularly under Josep Gombau’s tutelage.
Back-four uncharacteristically resolute
It has been made no secret that United’s defending has been at times shambolic and disorganised, lacking leadership and structure – leaking 15 goals in six meetings this season. However, with the seamless return of Galekovic, Amor’s team were settled as the Jets attacking display was a mere disaster – failing to record a single shot on or off target the entire game. Therefore, it should not be undermined just how pivotal he and his leadership attributes are at the back, due to his ability of understanding the subtle nuances of the game. The likes of Dylan McGowan, Tarek Elrich, Michael Marrone and Jordan Elsey when he was substituted on after eight minutes, following a hamstring injury to Osama Malik, were solid and competent in their ability to read the game and complete several vital interceptions. This enabled the stalwart to endure a comfortable match in his first appearance since electing to have surgery on a persistent knee issue.
Adelaide United conclusion
Although, Amor will be disappointed his outfit could not claim the three points, it did end a wretched run of four straight defeats. The clean sheet will also be a positive after conceding a staggering 14 goals in four games. However, it seems there is a glaring imbalance in the side, they are overcompensating in one facet, which is in turn having a detrimental influence. Keeping a clean sheet comes at the expense of being futile up-front and while the emphasis is on scoring-goals, the Reds have shipped at least three in the last four outings. Finding the right balance will be imperative moving forward for the winless Adelaide United and it does not get any easier as they face arch-rivals Melbourne Victory on Saturday.
Newcastle Jets conclusion
The Jets, meanwhile, have made huge improvements this season after being on the abyss of uncertainty as relentless speculation gathered over the club’s future last campaign. Scott Miller has worked scrupulously to get Newcastle heading in the right direction and so far he is on the correct track. Although, it was not their most glamorous performance of the year, the coach was ecstatic his side were able to adhere to and implement his structure devised for the game. A home match awaits them against a promising Brisbane Roar outfit on Friday.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
