Auckland FC end Newcastle Jets’ unbeaten run, heat up A-League Men premiership race
Saturday, 14 March 2026
At McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle: Auckland FC 2 (Sam Cosgrove 15' 52') Newcastle Jets 1 (Clayton Taylor 28’). HT: 1-1
Auckland FC have moved within a point of the Newcastle Jets at the top of the A-League Men ladder by ending their unbeaten run at 10 matches with a 2-1 win.
The reigning Premiers’ Plate winners are now unbeaten in six matches themselves, after English striker Sam Cosgrove scored two either side of Clayton Taylor’s first-half equaliser at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Auckland and Newcastle play the same five opponents in the final five rounds of the season – one next weekend before the March international window and four more after it in April.
Adelaide United, Central Coast Mariners, Macarthur FC, Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC are the five rival clubs that will have a part to play in deciding who finishes first at the end of the regular season, as Auckland did in their inaugural season last year.
The Jets had beaten Auckland twice at Go Media Stadium this season, but couldn’t win for a third time when another three points would likely have sealed the premiership in their favour, giving them a seven-point lead instead of the single-point advantage they now have.
Cosgrove’s first goal came in the 15th minute when he got on the end of a cross from Jesse Randall on the left that James Delianov in the Jets’ goal failed to intercept.
Taylor had threatened to create a goal for the Jets on several occasions early and put them back on level terms after a neat one-two with Daniel Wilmering helped him get the better of Logan Rogerson and Callan Elliot.
Running into the box, he got the ball on his right foot and curled a shot into the far side of Michael Woud’s net.
Cosgrove’s second goal came after Wilmering slipped in his own box seven minutes into the second half, giving the towering striker a free header at the end of a Francis de Vries cross from the left.
Auckland also hit the crossbar twice, and had to hold on as the Jets chased a second equaliser, with centre backs Dan Hall and Jake Girdwood-Reich making intervention after intervention to prevent clear-cut chances from materialising.
Eli Adams shot wide to the left of goal with 10 minutes to play, while Hall picked the pocket of substitute Ben Gibson when he was about to turn and shoot as five minutes of stoppage time were called for.
Luka Vicelich – the son of All Whites legend Ivan Vicelich - made his A-League Men debut in the closing stages and was called on to make an intervention of his own before the final whistle blew.
Auckland host Macarthur next Saturday while the Jets are away to Sydney next Sunday.
Cosgrove's two goals took him past team-mate Randall to the top of the golden boot standings, with 10 to his name.