Soccer: Knights stuck in goal drought

SYDNEY - Wanted: a striker to help break a nine-hour goal drought and stop the New Zealand Knights plunging to another season of disaster.

Coach Paul Nevin said the hunt was on for a marksman after his team hit the bottom of the A-League table with a 3-0 loss at previously winless Newcastle Jets on Saturday.

It was Knights' sixth consecutive goal-less defeat, leaving them with a goal difference of minus 13 - and ever-hazy memories of their 1-0 win over Adelaide in round two.

The Knights had just seven shots at the Jets goal as Nevin bemoaned the absence of Portuguese striker Dani Rodrigues to a knee ligament injury. "We're trying to locate some players, with Dani out. It's very frustrating and we need to find someone to fill his boots," Nevin said.

Newcastle, rejuvenated after the midweek sacking of coach Nick Theodorakopoulos, kept Knights goalkeeper Michael Turnbull busy. He kept a clean sheet for 72 minutes. Jets defender Jade North, midfielder Stuart Musialik, and Colombian striker Milton Rodriguez rattled in goals in the final 20 minutes.

"The longer and longer this poor run goes on, you can see the heads dropping," said Nevin.

- NZPA