The Newcastle Jets eSports representatives, Bohdan ‘BLFifa’ Ling and Dane ‘Bossierhickory8’ Crow, have put first points on the ladder with a 2-1 win over Melbourne Victory in the E-League.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It’s been a struggle finding results in recent weeks for the Novocastrian gamers, especially when many of the other clubs in the league boast professional streamers and top-tier talents.
The Jets, however, have seen the E-League as an opportunity to foster gaming talent from the local region, and it looks like their faith is beginning to be rewarded.
Ling opened the two-legged tie on the Sony PlayStation 4 console, coming up against Victory’s Mouad ‘MuadZwed’ Zwed.
He walked away with a 1-1 result, although it was late on that he levelled the score – Zwed had scored early with real-life Victory star Mitch Austin, who is also the Microsoft Xbox One competitor.
It was up to Crow to clinch the tie for the Jets, facing off against Austin – known online as ALCATRAZZ_20225 – and he proved he was equal to the task.
Crow’s goal came in the 14th minute, putting the in-game score at 1-0 and the overall match score at a leading 2-1.
That was the final scoreline too, as Crow kept his defence strong for a long 76 minutes of FIFA game time, and the Jets finally chalked a result on the board.
“I’m relieved, I sent Dane into the second leg basically playing a fresh game so there was a lot of pressure on him to get us off the bottom of the ladder,” Ling said in the post-match interview.
“I nearly fell off my chair [I was so nervous], it was heart in mouth for a time.”
Ling also commented on his 1-1 draw in the PlayStation 4 match.
“First half I wasn’t too impressed with my game,” he said.
“I took my headphones off in the second half, I think they make me feel a little bit weird I think, and I felt a lot better – it could have gone either way.”
The Jets finish week 4 of the E-League in 8th place, leaving Melbourne Victory and Wellington Phoenix as the only two teams without points.
If results go their way next week, the Jets could move into as high as fourth place on the ladder if they can collect another three points.
Standing in their way in round 5 will be Wellington, and with them comes a chance for Ling and Crow to string two wins together, back-to-back.
The match will be live on Thursday afternoon on twitch.tv/eleagueaustralia.
Isaac McIntyre
Got a story or a tip that you want to send through? Contact me at isaac.mcintyre@fairfaxmedia.com.au
Got a story or a tip that you want to send through? Contact me at isaac.mcintyre@fairfaxmedia.com.au
