The Northern Territory news Mon 16 Mar 2020
NT news
The Northern Territory news; NewspaperNT
2020-03-16
English
Community newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin; Australian newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin
News Corp Australia
Darwin
application/pdf
Copyright. Made available by the publisher under licence.
News Corp Australia
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00042
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/795942
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/799008
34 SPORT MONDAY MARCH 16 2020 NTNE01Z01MA - V1 NEWCASTLE Jets put a severe dent in Adelaide Uniteds A-League finals ambitions with a 3-0 away win yesterday. Jets striker Roy ODonovan, Matthew Millar and Steven Ugarkovic scored at Adelaides Coopers Stadium to leave the Reds languishing outside the top six. Adelaide Jets shoot holes in Adelaides A-League finals hopes with 3-0 away victory STEVE LARKIN have now leaked 15 goals in four consecutive losses which have derailed their campaign. The seventh-placed Reds could have climbed back into the six with a win or draw. But they were comprehensively outplayed by Newcastle, who rose to ninth on the ladder with their fifth win this season. The Jets scored in the 41st minute with a slick passage culminating in ODonovans tap-in before 4286 spectators possibly the last crowd allowed into an A-League game this season. Adelaides Riley McGree lost possession in midfield and Newcastles Ugarkovic swooped, lofting a superbly weighted pass into the path of Dimi Petratos steaming down the right flank. Petratos didnt break stride and, on his first touch, played a delightful square ball which passed Adelaide defenders Jordan Elsey and Michael Jakobsen, with ODonovan perfectly placed to score from a metre out. After taking a 1-0 lead into halftime, the Jets blew Adelaide away with two goals in three minutes just after the resumption. In the 51st minute, Jets stalwart Nigel Boogard sliced Uniteds defence with a shrewd long-ball which found Millar, who duly scored with only keeper Paul Izzo to beat. Three minutes later, the visitors goaled again when Ugarkovic netted the sweetest of headers from 10 metres out when getting on the end of a Robert Burns cross. Adelaide coach Gertjan Verbeek hit the panic button 10 minutes later by making three substitutions at the same time, hooking an ineffectual McGree, Nikola Mileusnic and Ryan Kitto. Verbeek threw youngsters Mohamed Toure and Kusini Yegini into the frontline but the emerging duo couldnt change the tide. WELLINGTON have farewelled home supporters with a stylish 3-0 win to almost certainly torpedo the ALeague playoff hopes of Melbourne Victory. The game was played in an uncertain atmosphere yesterday, given the impact of coronavirus on the league. But there was no doubt who the better team was at Sky Stadium. Goals to prolific attackers Ulises Davila, Gary Hooper and David Ball handed thirdplaced Wellington their fourth-straight win and a sixth in a row at home. It was an appropriately stylish display from the hosts, who made a point to thank their fanbase after full-time. Border restrictions to stymie the spread of COVID-19 has left Phoenix management resigned to playing the rest of their season in Australia, where they look odds-on to participate in the finals. However, they would first need to undergo self-isolation for 14 days before resuming their campaign, as would Melbourne Victory, meaning the next two games for both teams would need to be rescheduled. The Kiwi club sits nine points clear of seventh place and is just a point behind second-placed Melbourne City, Kiwis in brilliant farewell to fans DANIEL GILHOOLY with a game in hand. Victorys 12th loss of the season came off the back of another lacklustre performance. They can finish with no more than 35 points, a tally which is historically not enough to play in the postseason. The scoring began in the third minute when Davila volleyed home from close range, recording an 11th goal of the season to celebrate the birth of his first child a day earlier in his native Mexico. Hooper doubled the lead with a brilliant flick header while facing away from goal, the Englishman sending Liberato Cacaces floating cross past a bemused Lawrence Thomas. Balls mazy run and strike from the top of the box made it three soon after halftime. Victory stung the palms of Phoenix goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic a couple of times but were distinctly secondbest for the most part, mirroring their sluggish finish when conceding four goals last round to leaders Sydney FC. Coach Carlos Salvachua named star striker Ola Toivonen on the bench because of a suspected hamstring strain. The Swede replaced 18year-old A-League debutant Birkan Kirdar for the final half-hour and looked to have registered a consolation goal but was deemed off-side. Red-hot Wildcats close in on 10th NBL title ADRIAN WARREN PERTH stars Bryce Cotton and Nick Kay have shone bright for the Wildcats, who have moved to within one win of a 10th NBL title with a 111-96 away win over Sydney. Guard and league MVP Cotton scored 31 points and Boomers forward Kay, 30, as the Wildcats took a 2-1 lead in the best-of five series, with the home team yet to win. Cotton yesterday continued his scoring stranglehold this season over the Kings, but Kay proved the long-distance assassin, making seven of nine three-point attempts. A small but vociferous contingent of Perth supporters made their presence felt. The match was closed to the public. A win in Game 4 on Friday in Perth will secure the Wildcats a fifth title in the past seven seasons, while the Kings must win at RAC Arena to force a decider. Perth never trailed and looked to be coasting to victory, when they led 39-20 in the second quarter. Brad Newley single-handedly dragged Sydney back into the game in the second quarter, scoring 16 out of their first 19 points in that term, including 12 straight, as they pulled to within 10 at halftime. Successive three-pointers to captain Kevin Lisch drew Sydney level at 63-63 in the third, but the Kings were outscored 21-7 in the remainder of the term to trail by 14 going into the last period. Sydney made one final run in the final quarter, cutting a 16-point deficit to five with just under six minutes to go, but Perth closed the game out comfortably down the stretch. Perths Nick Kay scored 30 points against the Kings in Game 3 of the NBL Finals Picture: JAMES GOURLET/AAP