90+4mins: ... and in time-honoured tradition, Petkovic blasts the eventual shot over the bar. Story of the game.

90+4mins: Last-ditch corner to Sydney...

90+3mins: Janko almost puts egg on my face with a towering header that Kennedy does well to pluck from the air.

90+2mins: Hit and hope stuff now. Lazy passes. Two more minutes of injury time and I suspect they’ll drag on.

89mins: Controversial. Ibini powers his way into the box then goes down under several challenges from Jets players. The referee says foul to the Jets rather than Ibini, and the replays seem to suggest he’s right. Tip of the hat to you too sir.

87 mins: Tip of the hat to Newcastle. As woeful as they were in the first half, they’ve matched Sydney in the second and have arguably edged it this half. Still time for someone to score though... as unlikely as that seems.

85mins: The good news is that little injury break means more added time for this classic encounter. Huzzah! (Sarcasm alert)

83mins: It is a popped shoulder. Jeronimo heads to the sideline... then trots back onto the field about 30 seconds later. Must be tougher than he looks. He’s still in discomfort though.

82mins: This doesn’t look good. Jeronimo slides in for a tackle and somehow does more damage to himself than his target. Could be a popped shoulder. He looks in agony.

80mins: Cracking low save from Kennedy after a curling effort from Ibini on the right side of the box. Sydney’s best shot this evening (not counting Janko’s “goal”).

79mins: Petkovic gets into a shooting position and... you can guess the rest. High and wide.

77mins: Naumoff on, Grant off for Sydney.

75mins: Now Virgili comes off for Montano. The Jets not settling for the draw it seems. And the sub almost makes an immediate impact, flashing a long-range drive goalwards that Janjetovic tips over the bar. Good stuff Jets, good stuff.

74mins: Pepper finally gets on the field. Can he add some spice? Kantarovski makes way.

73mins: And the cynicism would have been justified. Janko spoons it into the stands.

72mins: Free-kick to Sydney on the edge of the box. It’d be so easy to be cynical right now...

71mins: The Jets have been waiting an age to make their substitution. Pepper’s getting itchy on the sideline.

68mins: Madaschi makes a superb last-ditch tackle on Brosque just as he’s clean through. Yes, you read that right. A superb piece of defending from a Jets player.

66mins: This is petering out a bit. The Jets prepare to make a change. The way they rode their luck in the first-half, they must think they can nick this one.

63mins: A good run from Brosque but - surprise, surprise - it’s let down by the final shot, which although struck well rolls harmlessly into Kennedy’s arms. This is a masterclass in cack marksmanship.

59mins: Ha! A training ground routine goes horribly wrong. A short ball from the free-kick rolls harmlessly out for a goal-kick. Just when you thought Sydney couldn’t be anymore gormless in attack.

58mins: Sydney (very) slowly starting to get back into the game. Janko falls over theatrically and - peep - it’s a free-kick in a dangerous area.

55mins: Chance! Madaschi has a header cleared off the line after Janjetovic spills the corner. Close.

54mins: A corner for the Jets. Sydney facing their first spell of sustained pressure.

53mins: Better from the Jets. Suddenly I’ve got Elton John playing in my head.

50mins: The Jets come out, well, not quite firing but certainly looking better than the first-half. Jeronimo shoots wide from a good position.

47mins: Two minutes gone and no defensive errors from Newcastle. It’s a big improvement.

45mins: It’s almost half-time. Ibini powers a shot straight into Kennedy’s arms - a metre either side and it would have caused big problems.

42mins: Ironic cheers (from me anyway) when Jeronimo goes up the other end for Newcastle and flashes a half-chance over the bar.

40mins: More pressure from Sydney. Two corners in quick succession followed by a dangerous cross deep into the box. As usual, the Jets ride their luck and escape. Just.

37mins: Sydney must be wondering if this is going to be their day. Short of putting it into their own net, Newcastle couldn’t have done any more to gift them a goal.

34mins: Now it’s Ibini’s turn to fluff one. He’s almost clean through but takes too long on the ball and Carney tracks back to get a tackle in.

32mins: So close again! This is getting silly now. First Calver, then Janko miss great chances. Then Janko hits an absolute belter into the top corner - only to have it chalked off (questionably) for offside.

31mins: The game seems to have developed into a pattern, every couple of minutes or so the Jets’ defence gifts Sydney a half-chance which they duly waste.

28 mins: The last 10 minutes have been played almost exclusively in the Jets’ half. But if any side can find a way not to score against Newcastle’s dodgy defence, it’s Sydney.

27 mins: Graham Arnold cuts a frustrated figure on the sideline. Then again, he always looks like that.

22mins: Janko hits the post! Sydney just keep getting closer and closer.

20 mins: Despite those chances and the fact Sydney have bossed possession, the Jets don’t look especially rattled. Then again, they must be used to it this season...

18 mins: Oooo! Sydney had about three good chances in the same move there. It was Brosque’s initial shot that caused the chaos. Kennendy made the save but Sydney couldn’t stick the rebound into the back of the net. Getting closer.

15 mins: The Jets are starting to get back into it. They’ve had a bit more of the ball, although it’s not exactly tiki taka.

13 mins: Not exactly a classic so far but it’s pretty open. Cooper lashes wide from 12 yards out after a nod down from Jeronimo.

11mins: Rubbish. Carney swings the ball in high and wide. Harmless.

10mins: The Jets finally have a spell of possession and manage to win a free-kick on the right edge of the box.

7mins: Corner into the box from Sydney... it curls in dangerously but Kennedy does his finest salmon impression to tip away the danger.

5mins: Oooo! Ibini blows a free header in the box after good work from Janko and Brosque on the left. Where’s Cahill when you need him?

4mins: Sydney monopolising possession without looking particularly dangerous. Considering they haven’t scored in three games it’s not a huge surprise...

2mins: Early doors but it’s Sydney on top so far. Neither side look particularly confident though.

Bit of a late start, lot of NFL-style huddling going on.

Crowds flocking around the stadium. The Cove have already set up camp inside.

Looks like a big crowd. Wollongong sending a message to the FFA big wigs. *Cough* expansion *cough*.

I may be a jaded old hack but the sight of WIN Stadium in the sun by the sea is enough to warm the cockles of even the most cynical football fan. It certainly beats a wet January night at Blundell Park when the North Sea is blowing a gale. Still, you’ll never beat Grimsby for pre-match fish and chips.

Richard will be here momentarily to take you through tonight’s proceedings but until he gets here, here’s what Guardian Australia’s Paul Connolly thinks of the upcoming clash.

Graham Arnold’s Sky Blues must have almost forgotten what it feels like to win; it’s been long enough — seven matches ago on 22 November. Injuries, ennui and what Arnold may call some good old-fashioned shirking have seen Sydney in freefall, and the air is still whistling around their ears ahead of Saturday’s match against Newcastle in Wollongong (where, by the by, the FFA will be keenly counting heads as part of their long-term desire to expand the competition with due consideration for a South Coast-based team). Things are so dire Arnold must be wondering where he last saw his shin pads and boots. But as a late Christmas present, Sydney get to face Newcastle, a team who, apart from that one upset win over Adelaide two rounds ago, have been obliging losers. Of course Newcastle may be thinking exactly the same thing, but Sydney won’t get a better opportunity to stop the rot.