Newcastle coach Gary Van Egmond said the ‘football gods’ were smiling on the Jets in their 2-0 victory over the Central Coast Mariners in the first leg of the major semi-final on Sunday evening.

Mariners’ international striker John Aloisi missed a penalty midway through the first half, hit the post with powerful free-kick and was then adjudged to be offside when he stabbed the ball into the goal on the stroke of half-time.

The Jets scored through a spectacular diving header to Adam Griffiths early in the first half and were then handed a crucial two-goal buffer when twin brother Joel Griffiths slotted home a penalty five minutes before full-time.

"We really rode our luck early on in the first half. There was a couple of decisions that didn’t go the way of the Central Coast, but that is football," said Jets coach Gary van Egmond after the match.

"We had the football gods smiling on us but we also made some last gasp defensive clearances as well that you have to pay tribute to as well."

QUEENSLAND Roar battled hard at the Sydney Football Stadium tonight to take a creditable nil-all draw back home to Brisbane and set up what is sure to be a blockbuster second leg of this minor semi-final in a fortnight’s time.

The prize of a place in the Preliminary Final against is still there for the taking for both sides though after a match that proved yet again that there is little to choose between these two teams.

It was the third 0-0 draw in four Sydney v Queensland meetings this season and chances in this one were few and far between. The best fell to Sydney’s Alex Brosque but he was denied time and time again by a man-of-the-match performance from Roar goalkeeper Griffin McMaster.

A-League.com.au