Exciting 17-year-old forward Archie Goodwin has scored twice in his first A-League Men appearance of the season, as a vastly depleted Newcastle scored a 2-0 home win over Sydney FC.
Playing his first senior game in in nearly ten months, local product Goodwin scored well taken goals in the 41st and 43rd minutes of Friday's match at McDonald Jones Stadium.
With COVID, injuries and international call ups ravaging their squad Newcastle approached the APL about the possibility of the postponing the game. But the Jets were told that there was no opportunity for the game to be rescheduled and a postponement would lead to a no result with no points awarded.
The Jets run on side included just four starters from last weeks 4-0 win over Wellington with leading scorer Beka Mikeltadze, Angus Thurgate and Jason Hoffman among the unavailable players.
Newcastle had just one of their three goalkeepers available and only signed a backup less than five hours before the game.
Goodwin and 20-year-old youngster Lucas Mauragis stepped up magnificently and showed plenty of zest against a lacklustre Sydney.
Mauragis, who had a superb third-minute volley acrobatically tipped over by Sky Blues goalkeeper Thomas Heward-Belle, later produced a superb chip to the far post which Goodwin headed home.
Goodwin doubled the Jets' lead two minutes later when he raced onto a through ball from Brazilian Daniel Penha and cooly slid the ball past Heward-Belle.
"Its been a tough journey for me pre-season and just getting back on the field is a relief and just happy to score goals," Goodwin told Paramount Plus.
Notching back-to-back wins for the first time this season, Newcastle moved up three places to seventh, just three points and one spot behind Sydney, who have played two more games.
The visitors, who were without Socceroos Andrew Redmayne and Rhyan Grant, dropped one place to sixth, below Melbourne Victory on goal difference.
Sydney took 40 minutes to get a shot on target, but were more dangerous in the second half, especially after coach Steve Corica brought on Trent Buhagiar and Kosta Barbarouses in the 50th minute for Milos Ninkovic and Luciano Narsingh.
Buhagiar, Adam Le Fondre and substitute Bobo all went close for the Sky Blues, but Newcastle also had chances in the final quarter.
Substitute Eli Babalj shot weakly at Heward-Belle and Taylor Regan had what would have been his first ALM goal in eight years rubbed out after VAR spotted a teammate offside.
