HE may have been denied his maiden A-League goal, but Lachlan Bayliss won't have to wait long to set that straight.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
That's the opinion of Jets coach Rob Stanton after the 21-year-old livewire gave a glimpse of his potential in Friday night's 1-all draw with Wellington Phoenix at McDonald Jones Stadium.
The former Central Coast junior helped give Newcastle a 1-0 lead - although it was accredited as an own goal by Phoenix keeper Alex Paulsen - in the 15th minute and forced another diving save in the final minute of the first half.
It was only his 10th A-League game and first starting appearance since round five, after being sidelined with a groin injury, and Stanton clearly believes there will be many more to come.
"He's got fight, he's got ticker, but he's got a real eye for goal as well," Stanton said.
"He works at 100 miles an hour. He leaves everything on the pitch. He goes flat-chat and you can see he's a winner. He's got everything."
The result extended Newcastle's unbeaten run to four games and put a dent in Wellington's hopes of securing the Premiers' Plate, even though the point lifted them ahead of second-placed Central Coast Mariners, who have a game in hand.
Stanton paid tribute to his troops, who have stuck to the task at hand despite the uncertainty surrounding their club's future beyond the end of this season.
"It says a lot about the players," Stanton said. "What you're seeing now is a reflection of all the work they've put in.
"I know we're in tough times but if it gets sorted - hopefully it will get sorted - we can then set a new vision and an identity for the club and move forward."
An injury to English import Carl Jenkinson was a dampener for the Jets, after he crashed to the ground awkwardly and suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder.
Adding insult to injury, the former Premier League defender conceded a penalty for a hand-ball in the process, allowing Wellington a last-minute chance to win the game. But Alex Rufer steered his spot-kick wide and it deflected away off the outside of the right post.
Newcastle now face the Mariners in their final game of the season, at home on Saturday, and Stanton said his players would like nothing more than a win against their traditional rivals.
"Being a derby adds that little bit more extra," he said.
"It's a great way to finish off the season for everyone. I think it's going to be a tough match.
"But we want three points. We want to get more points than we did last year.
"We want to to finish a few more spots up the ladder. That's still open as well."
