Wheelhouse looking to punish Victory

Newcastle skipper Jobe Wheelhouse says the chance to knock Melbourne Victory out of A-League finals contention is a great incentive for the club.

The Jets sit in sixth place on the A-League ladder on 31 points and can put an eight-point gap between themselves and Victory with a win over the Melbourne side on Saturday.

With just three rounds remaining after this weekend’s matches, the Victory would need a near-miracle to qualify for the finals.

“We want to go down there and stick it to them and not let them control the game,” Wheelhouse said.

“We know that they have to win, if they don’t a top six spot is pretty much over, so it would be good to not just go down there for the win but to also knock them out of the race, which is the incentive for us.”

“We have to treat it like a final like we have been doing with the recent games, and string the ball around and control the game.”

Wheelhouse, who is returning after missing the last two games due to a groin injury, acknowledged the Victory side will be buoyed by excellent performances from Harry Kewell and Archie Thompson in Australia’s 4-2 win over Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

“They are probably still on a high from their good performance in the international the other night, so hopefully we can control them,” Wheelhouse said.

“We know they are a good side and they probably haven’t hit the heights they are capable of this year.”

“It is dangerous for us particularly with the calibre of players they have up front. We have to be on our game, if not we will get punished.”