Parramatta Power put their top 6 aspirations back on track this Australia Day by downing 2nd placed Newcastle United by two goals in a scrappy match, one to a David Barrett header and the other to a superb debut NSL goal to substitute, U19 Joey, Brett Holman.
David Mitchell reshuffled his team significantly after two losses in a row, with three key changes, including Lubo Lapsansky out completely and John Buonavoglia on the bench.
Newcastle too reshuffled the pack with Matthew Bingley playing marker on Zlatko Arambasic and Andy Roberts on the left instead of Joe Schirripa, and Michael Prentice coming in the central defence. The absence most missed proved to be Robbie Middleby, out with a leg injury.
A fair crowd showed up for Australia Day despite the early start although the announced figure raised eyebrows. Newcastle brought several busloads with them.
To say it was a scrappy first half would possible be praising it as both teams nullified every move the other made and the hard dirt pitch made the ball bounce up.
For nine minutes after the start of play, it was all Newcastle but the most they got out of it was a corner kick in the 8th minute.
Then Parramatta got their first attacking move going on the right side but young Michael Prentice was quick of foot and mind to cut out the danger.
In the 17th min Joel Griffiths beat David Barrett for pace on the left, but as he turned inside Alex Tobin him perfectly to clear the danger.
Parramatta was unable to penetrate and Matthew Thompson could only hit a high speculator ball that went well wide on the left.
Ahmad Elrich was very quite but in the 21st min he pushed up slipped a ball inside to Adam Kwasnik whose through ball for Zlatko Arambasic was hit too hard and Daniel Beltrame in the Newcastle goal grasp[ed it eagerly.
Down the other end Mark Wilson threw himself at a cross but his glancing header was well wide.
There could have been trouble for Newcastle if Prentice had not read play well and covered an Arambasic raid very well.
Scott Baillie put his side under pressure in the 30th min when a deflection off him almost reached his team's net, but thankfully rolled wide.
From the corner Peter Bennett headed over.
Elrich made a characteristic run but Prentice just so easily jockeyed him wider and wider and then robbed him off the ball.
In the 34th min O'Sullivan picked up the ball from some good Power interchange and Prentice again coolly cleared the pressure. Again the game got itself bogged down into scrappy kick and run, and skied clearances until the 43rd min when Arambasic got in a fine high cross but Beltrame read it and came out fast and high to take the ball.
At last, some real excitement nearing the half-time whistle when Daniel McBreen got behind the defence and receiving the ball in the area he hit it straight at Pogliacomi and then his second attempt was blocked and cleared by Barrett.
Whatever Newcastle had to drink at the break didn't do them much good because for a long passage of play they were no danger at all to Power.
In the 49th min Arambasic placed a well weighted through ball for Kwasnik but Beltrame was able to take it.
Inexplicably Nick Orlic poleaxed Joel Griffiths and got a well-earned yellow but there was little need to do anything so dramatic as the play was leading nowhere.
In the 56th minute Steve Eagleton battled hard to get into the area and won a free kick. He stepped up to take the kick and directed it in the direction of the far post. Up popped Barrett to deflect the ball down into the right side of the goal past a grasping Beltrame.
In the 61st minute Beltrame was forced to take the ball off fresh substitute Brett Holman's head.
At last, Newcastle broke out of their daze and Dodd got into the box but his cross was blocked away for the corner. From the corner McBreen headed wide.
A good chance came to Newcastle when a minute later McBreen had his shot blocked but as it rolled around in the box a recumbent Joel Griffiths got his foot to it, however it was cleared by Beltrame.
Wayne O'Sullivan took a free kick for Power which was just deflected overt the crossbar, and from the corner Tobin sent a hard header just sailing over the Newcastle crossbar.
Dodd got a ball through into the area to Griffiths but his turning strike was saved.
In the 82nd min Brett Holman brought down a bouncing high ball, turned and as the Newcastle defence retreated he made the most of the space to take 3 strides and blast the ball so hard at the gaol from 30m that Beltrame could only get a hand to it, succeeding only in deflecting the ball into his own net.
The game ended on that score, which was probably reflective of the chances Power had but overall it was a poor match.
Parramatta was best served by O'Sullivan, Eagleton, Barrett, Thompson, Kwasnik, and certainly young Holman for his debut NSL goal.
Newcastle can thank the contributions by Prentice, Blagojevic, Johnson, and Wilson.
Parramatta coach David Mitchell was very pleased with his team's second half and that they 'started to play a bit". He praised his young charges Kwasnik and Holman and their enthusiasm, and O'Sullivan's work rate.
Ian 'Chippy' Crook was of course disappointed with the result and particularly only "two chances in 90 mins", but he felt that the first half was very even. He felt that his team's performance to date means that "team's are showing us a bit of respect and we need to learn how to break team down".