With time running out, it's a must-win match for Melbourne Victory on Saturday, so your support is crucial. Be there!
Please note the kick off time for the Melbourne Victory v Newcastle Jets match this Saturday, is 5.30pm not 7.45pm as incorrectly referenced in Weekly Warm Up.
With time running out, it's a must-win match for Melbourne Victory on Saturday, so your support is crucial. Be there!
For fans of Melbourne Victory, a finals series in which they are not involved seems unthinkable but, with less than a handful of games remaining in the Hyundai A-League 2011/12 season, that is indeed a very real possibility. So, it is now time for everyone to pull together like never before and give it one last push. The players are sure to do everything they can to squeeze into the top six, and they know they can rely on your non-stop encouragement from the stands. So get ready to get vocal as AAMI Park draws another big crowd on Saturday afternoon. Every game is a cup final from here on in!
With ladder rivals Sydney losing at home on Saturday, Victory could have really done with a win which would have put them within touching distance of the top six, but they were left frustrated at Skilled Park. Indeed, in torrential rain, it looked as though the visitors were going to suffer an unlikely defeat to the ladder's lowest club and, in the end, only a classy second-half equaliser from Carlos Hernandez secured a point. Despite this disappointment, they'll go into Saturday's game knowing that three points will not only boost their own chances of making the finals, but simultaneously damage those of one of their ladder rivals. Newcastle Jets sit six points above Victory, so a win would bring them within range.
Meanwhile, the New South Wales side pushed themselves back into the finals places with a gritty 1-0 triumph against Adelaide United at Hunter Stadium last Friday night. Tarek Elrich's crucial goal did the damage and took the Jets a step closer towards extending their season beyond Week 25.
Saturday's showdown could go either way, as each side has beaten the other in the Hyundai A-League 2011/12 season. In week nine, Victory went down 3-1 in Newcastle in what was a controversial match. After Carlos Hernandez put them in the box seat, they were soon pegged back and then found themselves behind shortly after half-time. However, before the Jets sealed the match with a late Ryan Griffiths strike, Victory were denied a seemingly certain penalty as Nikolai Topor-Stanley seemingly brought down Archie Thompson in the penalty area. If Victory felt unlucky in that game, then Newcastle would feel the same when they visited Victoria later in the season. Two own-goals, one in each half, from the boot of luckless defender Sung-Hwan Byun left the away side with a mountain to climb - especially as they had already seen Tarek Elrich red-carded. Griffiths pulled one back on 84 minutes, but the points were to stay in Melbourne.
Jim Magilton's men would happily take some more gifts from the Jets this weekend too. It doesn't matter how the win comes - through own goals or a brilliant performance - but simply nothing other than three points will do. So your support is needed now more than ever. Sing from first whistle to last and help your side keep their season alive!