A 10 player Newcastle Jets have produced a gutsy performance to deny Perth Glory a home win and spoil Shannon May's centenary celebrations in a 2-2 draw.
A pre-game presentation by Glory owner Tony Sage was a fitting way to mark a century of games for May, and her teammates were determined to mark the occasion with a win.
This was never going to be an easy task against a Jets team peppered with internationals and Matildas, but Glory were fired up and flew out of the blocks.
It came as no surprise that the first goal of the game arrived after only three minutes through 16-year-old Young Matilda Leticia McKenna. She capitalised on Newcastleβs inability to clear their lines from a corner and smashed the ball home off the underside of the bar.
This early pressure from Glory was testing the back three of the Jets, and they struggled to cope with the swift counter attacks of Glory, but the Jets superiority in numbers in midfield started to pay dividends after the early storm, and they levelled the score in the 16th minute.
A superb through ball from Taylor Smith found Katie Stengel, who finished with a strike of real venom.
πππ@ksteng12 scored the pick of the goals in the opening half, but what about the assist from Taylor Smith! #WLeague
β Westfield W-League (@WLeague) December 15, 2018
π₯ @FOXFOOTBALL pic.twitter.com/I38veWJEOg
A minute later they were ahead, and it was the Smith-Stengel combination that again produced the goal, albeit a little, fortunately, as it appeared to be a mishit shot from Smith that Stengel diverted into the Glory net.
With van Egmond starting to boss the midfield, Newcastle were on the ascendancy at this point, but the game turned on its head in the 25th minute when Sam Kerr was bundled over in the box by Larissa Crummer. The referee pointed to the spot and followed this up with a controversial red card for Crummer. Sam Kerr thrashed the ball into the net from the spot and it was all square.
Despite having an extra player, Glory were unable to make the advantage count and for long periods of the game the 10 players of Newcastle more than held their own.
They were still grateful that their keeper Britt Eckerstrom was in great form though, as she was required to pull off some excellent saves to earn them the point, and none were better than the one that denied Kerr in the 60th minute when she went one on one with the Glory superstar.
Is it a bird?
β Westfield W-League (@WLeague) December 15, 2018
Is it a plane?
No, it's Britt Eckerstrom!
A superb diving stop to ensure @NewcastleJetsFC claim a point. #Wleague #PERvNEW
π₯ @FOXFOOTBALL pic.twitter.com/z8AC98RQGl
The Jets were not without a threat either though and Glory stopper Eliza Campbell had to be alert to prevent Jenna Kingsley from putting them ahead in the 55th minute.
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