Local heroes Will Dobson and Xavier Bertoncello have fired Newcastle to an upset 2-0 win over A-League Men’s (ALM) rivals Sydney FC.
Jets teenager Dobson broke the deadlock midway through the second half before an 84th-minute rocket from fellow Newcastle product Xavier Bertoncello sealed the deal at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday 20 December.
Newcastle moves to fourth (4-0-5) on the table with its first win over Sydney since its round-23 fixture in the 2023/24 season.
But, the victory has come at a cost, with coach Mark Milligan to sweat on the fitness of captain Kosta Grozos.
He first went down in the 72nd minute, clutching his left shoulder during a pause in play.
The defensive midfielder tried to play on but was eventually ruled out of the game soon after.
Sky Blues coach Ufuk Talay has his own injury concerns, with mercurial winger Joe Lolley re-injuring his right hamstring on return.
Lolley, who joined the fray in the 68th minute, was in agony after kicking the ball in the 89th minute.
Sydney FC (6-0-3) lost the top spot to Auckland FC after suffering its third defeat of the season.
A clever exchange between Dobson and winger Clayton Taylor opened up Sydney’s defences and lured goalkeeper Harrison Devenish-Meares off his line.
He was able to get to Dobson’s initial shot at goal, but the shotstopper couldn’t get to his feet in time to stop the second attempt.
Bertoncello, set up by Alexander Badolato, added his name to the scoresheet with a sensational strike from the top left corner of the box.
The Jets evened the ledger with their local rivals this season, having lost 4-1 to the Sky Blues in round three.
Neither side could land the first blow before half-time, with Newcastle unable to cash in on its attacking forays.
Lachlan Rose led the Jets’ attack in typical fashion, however he fluffed his best chance in the third minute when he sent the ball over the crossbar from directly in front.
Central defender Marcel Tisserand was made to work overtime to contain Rose and Taylor, while Al-Hassan Toure and Abel Walatee peppered at goal for the visitors.
Toure had been the hero in their round-three meeting with the Jets after pulling off a hat-trick.
But, he couldn’t recapture his magic before being replaced by Lolley, fluffing a chance in the 39th minute after a cross from Walatee.
The latter was substituted out of the second half, with 16-year-old Akol Akon becoming the youngest A-League player to feature for Sydney FC.
Akon tried his luck in the 60th minute with a strike outside of the box, but the kick lacked power and was easily collected by goalkeeper James Delianov.
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