The Newcastle Jets are set for a swift return to action this Saturday afternoon, welcoming the Wellington Phoenix to McDonald Jones Stadium for their final home league fixture of the calendar year. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. AEDT.
Heading into the weekend clash, the Jets are looking to secure their first victory of the A-League Men season after opening their campaign with consecutive draws. Newcastle split points in a 2-2 stalemate with the Central Coast Mariners before securing a 1-1 draw against Macarthur. While recent friendly fixtures against Japanese clubs—including a 5-2 defeat to Kyoto Sanga and a 3-1 loss to Gamba Osaka—did not yield results, team displays showed encouraging signs.
In contrast, Wellington Phoenix arrive in strong domestic form, having claimed victories in both of their opening A-League fixtures. The visitors defeated Melbourne Victory 2-1 and followed up with a 2-0 clean-sheet win over the Central Coast Mariners, driven largely by the early-season form of Corban Piper, who has found the back of the net in both matches.
A key battle on the pitch will feature Jets goalkeeper James Delianov squaring off against Piper. Delianov enters the weekend following a standout performance against Kyoto Sanga, where he recorded 10 saves—nine of which came from inside the area. That performance followed a solid outing against Macarthur, during which he stopped three shots and completed 88% of his distribution passes.
Saturday’s encounter brings back memories of the previous meeting between the two clubs, a match dominated by the Jets in a comprehensive 4-1 victory. Lachlan Bayliss opened the scoring just 21 seconds into that contest with a long-range strike. Clayton Taylor extended the lead in the 56th minute, and Eli Adams netted a third in the 70th minute. Although Sander Kartum managed to claw one back for Wellington, Xavier Bertoncello sealed the victory in the 89th minute by placing a composed finish into the bottom right corner.
