Jets Thrashed by Surprise Premiership Contenders as Golden Boot Front-Runner Sends Strong Message to Socceroos

On Sunday evening, Western United closed the gap to league leaders Auckland FC to just four points with an impressive 6-2 victory over Newcastle Jets, showcasing a ruthless four-goal effort in the first half.

Noah Botic netted his 11th goal of the season, leading the Golden Boot race and giving Western an early advantage. This was quickly followed by an own goal from Jets defender Mark Natta, which put the visitors 2-0 up within the first eight minutes.

Rhys Bozinovski and Riku Danzaki added the third and fourth goals before Bozinovski scored his second just eight minutes after halftime, extending Western’s lead to an astonishing 5-0.

The Jets managed to reduce the deficit with two goals before the final whistle, as Charles M’Mombwa marked his first goal for the club and an own goal by Angus Thurgate sparked hopes of a comeback. However, Western’s Michael Ruhs sealed the match with a sixth goal in the 85th minute, concluding the game at 6-2 for the surprise contenders in the Premiership race.

Ruhs’ goal was notable as it marked the 31st goal scored in Round 23 of the Isuzu UTE A-League, breaking a long-standing record for the most goals in a single round across the league’s two-decade history. This record was achieved with one match still pending: Sydney FC’s home fixture against Wellington Phoenix later that evening.

The opening goal for Western was delivered by in-form striker Noah Botic, whose early strike established a dominant first-half display from the away side.

Botic’s goal not only put him further ahead on the Golden Boot leaderboard but also served as a statement to Socceroos coach Tony Poovic, as he celebrated with a phone call gesture after not being selected for Australia’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

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Just two minutes later, Western extended their lead as Jets defender Mark Natta inadvertently deflected Riku Danzaki’s errant shot into the net, putting the visitors ahead 2-0.

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In the 29th minute, Rhys Bozinovski made it even worse for Newcastle with a spectacular strike. After the Jets had cleared a dangerous Danzaki cross, Bozinovski seized possession, took one touch to control the ball, and then fired it into the bottom-left corner.

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Danzaki was central to Western’s first-half success and, ten minutes before the break, he scored to push his side’s advantage to four goals. Botic set him up with a precise cross from the right wing, allowing Danzaki to finish with a simple tap-in.

At halftime, Western seemed to have the match in hand, but they were eager to solidify their lead as the second half commenced. Just eight minutes after the break, Bozinovski scored again, marking his second stunning goal of the day, and extending the lead to 5-0.

Charles M’Mombwa, who had come off the bench for the Jets after an abysmal first half, made an impact by scoring his first goal for the club. His effort seemed to ignite a mini comeback for the Jets.

Seven minutes after M’Mombwa’s clinical finish, the Jets struck again, this time benefitting from a misfortune of their former player Angus Thurgate, whose own goal brought the score to 5-2.

However, any hope of a comeback was quashed when Ruhs, coming off the bench for Western, scored his team’s sixth goal, securing the record for the most goals in a single round of Isuzu UTE A-League action (31).