JAPANESE striker Hiroshi Ibusuki scored one of the goals of the Australia Cup to seal a 2-0 win for Adelaide over the Newcastle Jets at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday night and bundle the home team out of the national knockout.
With Adelaide leading 1-0, but the Jets finishing strongly, the stringbean forward produced a spectacular bicycle kick in the 80th minute from a Zac Clough pass.
Jets keeper Michael Weir made several saves, including a couple from the top drawer, but he could do little to stop Ibusuki's piece of brilliance which nestled into the right corner.
Clough also supplied the freekick which George Blackwood nodded home in the 45th minute.
The loss continued the Jets' poor run in the Australia Cup, which was formerly the FFA Cup.
They missed out on the main draw last season after a controversial 2-1 loss to Western United in a qualifier and have only progressed to the quarter-finals once since 2014.
It wasn't all doom and gloom for the home side.
Weir put a stamp on the No.1 shirt, new arrival Brandon O'Neill was strong and Trent Buhagiar threatened with his pace.
Undoubtedly, Angus Thurgate was the Jets' best.
He ran at defenders, threaded balls into the box and tackled everything in a non-stop 90 minutes.
However, it was largely a frustrating night for a new-look Jets .
Adelaide turned over minimal personnel in the off-season and it showed. They played with more fluency in a system that they were clearly attuned to.
Hiro-ic effort! 🤯🚲@HiroshiIbusuki on his wrong side somehow finds the net.
— Australia Cup (@AustraliaCup) July 30, 2022
🎥: @10FootballAU
#AustraliaCup #MagicOfTheCup #NEWvADL pic.twitter.com/D0GN7oecZv
The Jets threatened in spurts, firing six shots, but rarely tested Adelaide keeper Joe Gauci in the opening 45 minutes.
At the other end, Weir made five saves but his good work was undone just before the break. He came to clear a looping Zach Clough freekick but was beaten. The ball bounced up for Blackwood to bundle home for a deserved lead.
New arrivals Brandon O'Neill, Trent Buhagiar and Jaushua Sotirio were pitched straight into the Jets' XI.
Reno Piscopo picked up an injury at training and sat out the match.
Ryan Kitto led an Adelaide side that featured former skipper Isaias Hiroshi, Ibusuki but no Craig Goodwin.
Buhagiar set up the first chance of the game in the 13th minute with a clever lifted ball for Thurgate. The midfielder made solid contact with his shot but it fizzed across the face of the goal.
Two minutes later, Beka Mikeltadze crashed to the ground in back play clutching at his neck after a run-in with Adelaide defender Lachlan Barr.
But neither the referee, linesman or TV cameras picked up the incident,
It sparked the home side into action.
Kosta Grozos chested down a Thurgate cross but skied his shot from 10 metres over the bar.
A minute later Sotirio had the defence scrambling.
The Jets had the reflexes of Weir to thanks for staying on level terms in the 25th minute.
Clough swung in a cross from the right for Blackwood. The striker turned a header that was bound for the left corner, but Weir shot his right arm up and knocked the ball over the bar.
Weir dived low to his right to deny Ibusuki a minute later as momentum swung the visitor's way.
The final 15 minutes of the half was all Adelaide. Weir denied Clough with a long range as the shots continued to mount.
Then, just before half-time, Adelaide struck.
Clough curled a freekick from just outside the box into the six-yard box. Weir came out but failed to clear and the ball bounced up for Blackwood to nod in.
The Jets lifted their intensity early in the second half and thought they had earned a penalty when Thurgate went over in the box after a challenge from Isaias but referee Kurt Ams pointed for a corner.
Buhagiar forced a good save from Gauci in the 58th minute with a low drive from 15 metres.
The Jets were the better team in the second half but had nothing to show for it.
