Newcastle Jets eliminated Gold Coast United from the A-League finals series on Saturday night.
The match, played at Skilled Park on the Gold Coast, ended goalless after extra-time and the Jets won the penalty shoot-out 6-5.
A brilliant display of goalkeeping by the Jets’ Ben Kennedy kept Gold Coast at bay.
Kennedy denied Shane Smeltz four times, and also saved from Joel Porter, Jason Culina and Anderson.
Porter also headed a good chance wide, while Smeltz was centimetres off target with another effort.
Newcastle had their chances, too, with Gold Coast keeper Jess Vanstrattan foiling Matt Thompson, Jobe Wheelhouse and Kaz Patafta.
Nikolai Topor-Stanley saved the day for Newcastle on one occasion when he headed off the line as Porter looked certain to score.
Song Jin-Hyung flashed a shot just wide of the Gold Coast net late in the first half.
In the penalty shoot-out, Newcastle scored through Tarek Elrich, Sasho Petrovski, Patafta, Thompson, Ljubo Milicevic and Topor-Stanley, while Song shot over the bar.
For Gold Coast, Culina, Dino Dulbic, Michael Thwaite, Anderson and Smeltz netted, while Kristian Rees blazed over the bar and Zenon Caravella had his effort turned against the post by Kennedy.
The attendance of 4,109 was the lowest ever in the A-League finals series.
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