Soccer: More injury woes for Knights

SYDNEY - The luckless New Zealand Knights are beset with more injury problems after a frustrating 0-3 A-League soccer loss in Newcastle last night.

Apart from experiencing the pain of two late strikes from substitute Labinot Haliti, the Knights copped some serious collateral damage with midfielder Ben Collett needing hospital treatment for rib damage after he landed hard in the 65th minute.

Frank Van Eijs hobbled off with a calf muscle injury while fellow defender Cole Tinkler was the first casualty, suffering concussion when he was clattered by Allan Picken after heading the ball in the 17th minute.

Tinkler was being assessed my team medical staff last night while Collett has been cleared to travel home today after it was feared he may have punctured a lung.

"It's a tough world," philosophical Knights manager John Adshead said after his makeshift side battled hard without reward at EnergyAustralia Stadium.

The Knights were outplayed in the first spell but were still scrapping for a late equaliser until Haliti rocketed a 35-metre shot past Glen Moss to secure the three points and see the Jets improve to third on the ladder.

Haliti, a 79th minute replacement for former All Whites striker Vaughan Coveny, twisted the knife in injury time when he beat Moss from close range.

Adshead described Haliti's opener as a shot that finds the target "once in five years".

"We felt we might have had a couple of half chances in that last five minutes and got ourselves back into the game.

"To be honest they hadn't made anything from open play until we pushed everyone forward."

Newcastle coach Richard Money admitted the margin was rough justice on the cellar dwelling visitors.

"New Zealand didn't deserve to come off the pitch 3-0 (down) that's for sure," he said, though grateful for Haliti's late double enhancing the Jets' goal difference.

"The difference between second and third may end up being goal difference, so it was an important last ten minutes for us. It gets our goal difference back to where it was before we went to the Central Coast (and lost 4-1)."

Adshead, while proud of the effort, admitted his side did not create enough chances to get anything out of the match.

"We let ourselves down in the opening 20 minutes. We didn't get balls forward quickly enough and they got on top of us."

Veteran striker Ante Milicic opened the scoring in the 19th minute when he guided a free header past Moss from a Nick Carle free kick.

Despite playing three up front the Knights were largely devoid of attacking spark though Josh Maguire forced Liam Reddy to tip his 30-metre volley over the bar seven minutes before halftime.

The Knights next face Perth Glory in Auckland on Thursday.

Striker Sean Devine will be unavailable through suspension though midfielder Jeremy Christie will be back after serving a one-match ban.

Japanese midfielder Naoki Imaya is in serious doubt with a knee injury suffered against the Central Coast Mariners last Sunday.

Adshead was impressed with midfielder Sam Jasper's debut.

"We acquitted himself well and went close to getting us an equaliser," Adshead said of the Waitakere United rookie's 20 minute cameo.

- NZPA