NEWCASTLE defender Jason Hoffman was sent off as the Jets racked up their sixth successive victory of the pre-season Cessnock Sportsground on Saturday, 2-0 against Western Sydney Wanderers.
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Hoffman received a straight red card after an 80th-minute incident involving Wanderers defender Abdelrahman Kuku.
A shirt pull from Kuku appeared to frustrate Hoffman, who kicked him in retaliation.
The referee apparently missed the incident, but after a lengthy discussion with the linesman, produced a red card for Hoffman and yellow for Kuku.
Jets winger Andrew Hoole continued his hot streak by opening the scoring with a long-range solo effort in the 22nd minute – his seventh goal in six trial games since re-joining Newcastle.
Newcastle’s other goal of the first half came in the 41st minute from former Melbourne Victory Andrew Nabbout, who finished clinically when he was played into space by striker Morten Nordstrand.
Nabbout has now scored in four consecutive matches.
Newcastle fielded their best XI and started with their Scandanavian strike force, Norsdtrand (Denmark) and Aleksandr Kokko (Finland) up front.
Kokko, who has been sidelined for much of the pre-season with injury, was replaced by youngster Devante Clut at the half-time break.
The Wanderers, backing up from a midweek FFA Cup tie, fielded a largely second-string team.
New Jets coach Mark Jones, who was appointed on Friday, was in the crowd of 2132. He watched the match from the grandstand, taking notes at regular intervals, while assistant Clayton Zane ran the team from the sideline.
Newcastle are trying to arrange one more trial before their season-opener against Adelaide at Hunter Stadium on Sunday, October 9.
