Jets continue to shoot blanks

It’s a case of different season same old story for the Newcastle Jets following their dour 0-0 draw with Perth Glory at Hunter Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

On a beautiful day for football the Jets controlled large periods of the match against the Glory but again lacked a killer instinct in the final third to find the back of the net.

The Jets have yet to get off the mark in front of goal this season and with a daunting trip to New Zealand next Sunday to face the Phoenix it won’t get any easier to break their duck.

Goal scoring has been a real problem for Newcastle after only netting 30 goals last campaign and with marquee man Emile Heskey injured they lack an out and out goal scorer in their squad.

Gary Van Egmond’s penchant for possession based football is attractive to watch but Jets fans are growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of end product for their team.

The Jets again enjoyed sustained periods of pressure against the Glory but a number of players lacked the composure and finesse needed to carve out clear cut opportunities.

In truth Newcastle’s best chances came through set pieces from the boot of Ruben Zadkovich but they were unable to convert their opportunities.

Nathan Burns was a bright spark for the Jets after showing glimpses of his class and was unlucky not to be awarded a penalty in the dying stages after being felled inside the box by Perth’s Jack Clisby.

But arguably the best chance fell to Perth in the 76th minute after a Jacob Pepper error put Jamie Mclaren through but he fluffed his shot with only Mark Birighitti to beat.

The Jets have undoubtedly one of the most talented young rosters in the Hyundai A-League but seem to be struggling with confidence early on in the season.

Jets manager Gary Van Egmond was pleased with his team’s endeavor but admitted their performance was not up to scratch.

“I thought the football was poor the way in which we played, I thought there were too many times we didn’t look for the right solution playing out,” he said.

“People looked nervous, not just us but also them. It looked like a game that both teams didn’t want to lose rather than a team wanting to win.”

He was particularly scathing of the temperament of some of his troops hinting that they shied away from their task.

“There was a few in there that didn’t put their hand up and have a real dip.

“I think its nerves, again it’s about them trying to get more confidence from the perspective of the game… and they have to make sure they turn up.”

With a shocking record in New Zealand with just two wins in A-League history, the Jets must quickly find their feet or it could be four straight years without finals football.