Jets through to decider
The Newcastle Jets are through to their first Hyundai A-League Grand Final after a thrilling 3-2 extra-time win over the Queensland Roar in the Preliminary Final at EnergyAustralia Stadium on Sunday evening.
Newcastle went ahead via a Matt Thompson strike in the 40th minute and looked like it had done enough to win the match until Queensland came back from the dead when striker Reinaldo slotted home a penalty in the dying seconds of the match.
A Joel Griffiths penalty put the Jets ahead 13 minutes into extra time before Tarek Elrich all-but sealed the hard-fought win with a cracking shot just moments later.
Reinaldo gave the Roar another glimmer of hope with another successful penalty in the 27th minute of extra time, but Newcastle was able to hold on for a nail-biting victory.
The Jets will now meet arch rivals, minor premiers the Central Coast Mariners in the season decider at the Sydney Football Stadium next Sunday afternoon.
The game was a cracker from the opening whistle with the Roar nearly on the scoreboard in the opening minutes.
An errand back-pass from Jets defender Tarek Elrich handed Queensland striker Reinaldo possession 30 out from the Jets goal. He sent it out to speedster Michael Zullo on the left wing, who sent a looping cross into the box only for Roar midfielder Marcinho to spoon his shot over the bar from point-blank range.
Just minutes later, Newcastle went even closer when Thompson weaved his way through three defenders before seeing his left-foot shot from 12 yards cannon off the left post.
Roar midfielder Matthew McKay went one-on-one with Jets keeper Ante Covic after being gifted a ball from Jets midfielder Stuart Musialik but slid his shot wide of the far post.
The Jets went tit for tat when the season's top goal-scorer, Joel Griffiths, forced a diving save from Roar goalie Liam Reddy with a low left-footer from the edge of the area.
Just moments later Zullo ballooned a 20-yard shot over the bar before Robbie Kruse crucified the best chance of the match so far when he pushed his shot wide from eight yards out after being put into space via a sublime ball from Marcinho.
Bad finishing let Queensland down moments later when Covic easily gathered Zullo's half-hearted shot after an enterprising build-up, while down the other end Reddy produced a fine finger-tip save to tip another Joel Griffiths left-footer around the right post.
Big Roar defender Sasa Ogenovski was forced from the field after a head clash with Adam Griffiths while going for an attacking corner in the 37th minute. With Queensland down to 10 men the Jets pounced to score the opening goal.
Mark Bridge got possession in space on the right wing and fired in a low cross to the near post where a diving Reddy punched the ball clear only for Thompson to control and bury his shot into the corner of the net from 15 yards.
Joel Griffiths nearly doubled the lead just moments later when he was put into the clear with a long ball, but Reddy was able to parry his 18-yarder away and the score remained 1-0 at half-time.
The Roar upped the ante after the break with Marcinho and Zullo pushing forward but the well-organised Jets defence was able to nullify most of the attacking raids.
Covic gloved Reinaldo's stab from eight yards, Jade North was able to block Massimo Murdocca's goal-bound drive in the 67th minute while Zullo, who looked electric on the left wing, could only chip his shot over the bar under pressure from Elrich.
After soaking up all the pressure, the Jets looked like they had sealed the match in the 80th minute when Joel Griffiths laid off for substitute Troy Hearfield to stroke into an open goal. But the linesman had his flag up for offside against Griffiths and the score remained 1-0.
With the game seemingly out of the Roar's grasp the visitors were thrown a lifeline when Jets midfielder Adam D'Appuzzo was adjudged to have brought down Queensland substitute Simon Lynch inside the area and Green pointed to the spot. Reinaldo sent Covic the wrong way to level the scores and sent the match into extra time.
Newcastle attacked with venom in the first period of added time and was rewarded with a penalty of its own when Ogenovski felled Jets Korean substitute Jin-Hyung Song in the area. Joel Griffiths fired home his 14th goal of the season to send the home crowd into jubilation.
The Jets looked like it had made sure of the win when Joel Griffiths set Elrich free on the right wing and the 21-year-old fired home his first goal of the season with a venomous angled strike from 20 yards.
But there was still more action as Elrich brought down Zullo in the area for another penalty. Reinaldo stepped up to slot home and make it 3-2. But the Jets were able to hold on for a memorable victory, a place in the Asian Champions league next year and a chance to win this season's Grand Final.
Newcastle Jets 3 (Thompson 40, Joel Griffiths 103pen, Elrich 109)
Queensland Roar 2 (Reinaldo 90pen, 117pen)