Round 21 finishes up with the Newcastle Jets travelling down the F3 to face old foes Central Coast.
Are Newcastle a finals chance?
Just two months ago it seemed the top six was all wrapped up, then the league’s top teams began to falter opening up a potential position for Perth Glory. Now the Jets are slowly moving into the fray thanks to Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory failing to pick up wins in the past month. With a mixed bag of upcoming fixtures, including two games against big movers Perth, it could be a long shot, but certainly not an unreasonable suggestion that the Jets may sneak into the top six before the regular season wraps up.
The loss of Storm Roux
Last weekend the Mariners suffered a crushing 3-1 defeat to Melbourne City, however, the biggest loss was that of stalwart defender Storm Roux to an horrific lower leg injury. With their back line shipping the most goals of any side this season his long-term absence is certainly a bitter blow, but when considering the Mariners have picked up just one win in his absence prior to this season it becomes a much larger issue for Tony Walmsley. Considering Central Coast currently have the worst defensive record in the league, Roux’s injury could see another dismal outing on the cards.
Is another draw on the table?
With one side all but securing the wooden spoon and the other chasing a slim chance at finals football, grabbing three points in the round 21 closer is crucial, but with neither side picking up a victory in this fixture since October 2014, a share of the points seems to be the new F3 Derby tradition. Although the Mariners are undefeated in their last nine clashes with the Jets, they come into the clash with the poorer run of form, meanwhile Newcastle haven’t pick up an away win in six outings. With a lot on the line and both sides offering their own value for the win (or a loss) this clash looks like it could well be destined for another stalemate.
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