A scintillating goal by Ghanaian Elizabeth Addo turned out to be nothing more than a consolation as the Newcastle Jets finished their campaign in style with an impressive 4-1 win over Western Sydney Wanderers.
Despite enduring a disappointing season marred by several injuries to key players, the Jets finished the season on a high note in front of their home fans thanks to goals from teenage starlet Tessa Tamplin, Tara Andrews, Teigan Collister and Cortnee Vine.
In a free-flowing first half which saw chances at either end, the Jets almost took the lead in the 20th minute after Jenna Kingsley was put through by Andrews, however, Wanderers keeper Nicole Simonsen was equal to her strike and parried the effort away.
Moments later, Addo tested Britt Eckerstrom from a freekick but the American shot-stopper was able to parry the shot over the bar for a corner to keep the scores level.
Arin Wright had scored twice in her previous three outings for the Jets and should have made it 1-0 five minutes before halftime when the ball fell kindly to her at the back post from a corner, but she inexplicably blasted over with the goal gaping.
After starring on debut two weeks ago at the same venue against Perth, Tamplin shone brightly once again for the home side and showed great poise in front of goal to open the scoring in the 43rd minute.
One-on-one with the keeper, Tessa Tamplin kept a cool head to score her first #WLeague goal and put the Jets into the lead! #NEWvWSW #MadeOfNewcastle pic.twitter.com/Q5UxG6j6GD
— NEWCASTLE JETS FC ✈️ (@NewcastleJetsFC) February 2, 2019
Clare Wheeler produced an excellent through pass to the teenager who calmly slotted the ball past the onrushing Simonsen to notch up her first ever W-League goal and send the home side into the sheds with a one-goal advantage.
Trailing 1-0 at the interval, the visitors went in search of an equaliser and Kylie Ledbrook should have done better in the 53rd minute, heading over after great work out wide by Erica Halloway.
That miss would prove a costly one for the visitors as the Jets went down the other end and doubled their advantage almost immediately.
Gema Simon's probing run put the Wanderers defence on the back foot, and when the ball broke to Andrews just outside the edge of the box, the former Matilda arrowed her shot under the body of Simonsen and into the back of the net to make the score 2-0 after 55 minutes.
Tara Andrews scored our second of the evening, absolutely leathering one into the bottom corner from a long way out! #NEWvWSW #WLeague #MadeOfNewcastle pic.twitter.com/AX7qSXlSuI
— NEWCASTLE JETS FC ✈️ (@NewcastleJetsFC) February 2, 2019
Despite the deficit, the visitors were determined to try and finish their dismal season on a positive note and they pulled a goal back in the 66th minute, thanks to a sensational volley from import Addo.
Rachel Lowe did well to win possession on the halfway line before feeding Lo'eau LaBonta, who played a neat one-two with Addo before chipping the ball into the path of the Ghanaian who found the back of the net in some style to halve the deficit.
Any hopes of a Western Sydney comeback were quickly quashed when Collister capped an impressive debut season with an exquisite left-footed chip from the corner of the box to restore the Jets' two goal advantage.
😎😎😎
— Westfield W-League (@WLeague) February 2, 2019
What a chip from Teigan Collister.#WLeague #NEWvWSW
🎥 @FOXFOOTBALL pic.twitter.com/VGDqzZwd4E
The Wanderers were staring down the barrel of their 10th loss from 12 games this season and pushed hard to try and get back into the game, but when the ball fell kindly to substitute Remy Siemsen in the 77th minute, her wayward finish summed up the away side's season as she blasted wastefully over.
At the other end of the pitch, just two minutes later, it was a Jets substitute who capped off a fantastic night for the home team as Cortnee Vine lashed home a fourth to complete the scoring.
Libby Copus-Brown's long-range effort dropped perfectly at the feet of Wright in the box, and she neatly laid the ball off to Vine who made no mistake to notch up her fourth goal of the season.
The strike also ensured Vine would finish the season as the club's leading scorer, going one ahead of American import Katie Stengel.
Along with Addo, LaBonta troubled the Jets all night, and when the ball broke to her in the 87th minute, it looked like the away side would at least bag a consolation effort.
However, Eckerstrom had other ideas as she showed excellent reflexes to deny her compatriot and cap off an excellent individual season by the American goalkeeper.
For the home side, it was a great way to finish the 2018/19 season in front of another great crowd, whilst the Wanderers will not look back fondly on this campaign as they only managed four points from 12 matches, conceding a whopping 30 goals in the process.
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