Newcastle Jets
Melbourne Victory
 
Australia Cup Round of 32
Magic Park
2016-08-03T09:30:00+00:00
Attendance
1,900

Newcastle Jets 1 Melbourne Victory 3

Newcastle Jets 1

Brown 50’

Melbourne Victory 3

Berisha 5’, Bozanic 54’, Howard 87’

Defending Champions Melbourne Victory are through to the Round of 16 after a scrappy 3-1 win over Newcastle Jets in tough conditions at Magic Park.

In a match played in driving rain and howling wind, goals to Besart Berisha, Oliver Bozanic and George Howard cancelled out a stunning solo strike from Jets recruit Wayne Brown.

The match was soured for Victory with Berisha forced from the field inside 30 minutes with a muscle complaint.

Victory took the lead on five minutes with Berisha burying a close range header after a delightful ball from Tunisian winger Fahid Ben Khalfallah.

Both sides struggled to adapt to the conditions as the game progressed with neither able to maintain sustained periods of possession in a sloppy affair.

Wayne Brown pulled the Jets level just five minutes into the second half with a piece of individual brilliance.

The Englishman expertly controlled the ball on the edge of the area before instinctively dinking the ball over the advanced Lawrence Thomas to make the score 1-1.

But their joy was short-lived with Oliver Bozanic putting the visitors back in front just four minutes later from the penalty spot.

And Kevin Muscat’s side sealed the result in the dying stages with Howard slotting from close range after a sloppy turnover from the Jets in their back third.

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