A-League soccer, 2022: Jets hired gun Beka Mikeltadze primed to strike again

Mikeltadze achieved both last weekend, scoring the match-winner in injury time to snatch the Jets a 2-1 triumph over Perth Glory and ensure a feel-good start to the campaign.

Last season, the Georgian striker opened his account with a penalty in round two.

The Jets had to wait until round four to celebrate their first win, a 4-0 demolition of Wellington at home in which Mikeltadze netted a brace.

Wellington make the trip to Turton Road on Saturday and Mikeltadze is desperate to inflict more pain.

"We want to win every game, not just Saturday, every week," Mikeltadze said. "It doesn't matter if it is Perth, Wellington, Melbourne City ... whoever. We think we are the best team in the A-League."

Mikeltadze, although busy with 30 touches against the Glory, didn't get a clear-cut chance until the 93^rd minute. Boom.

Jaushua Sotirio latched onto a clearance and burst down field before feeding Mikeltadze on the edge of the box.

"I had time to take the ball, watch the goalkeeper," Mikeltadze said. "It is everything you practice at training. Before I take the ball, I felt it was going to be a goal.

"I score one and we win. I am happy if I have one chance in the whole game and score. No problem. I will be happy."

Mikeltadze bagged 13 goals last season - the most by a Jets player since Adam Taggart netted 16 in 2013-14 - and was two shy of A-League golden-boot winner Jamie Maclaren.

Maclaren has continued where he left off, notching three goals in two games for Melbourne City.

"I want 20, 25 goals, as many as possible. Why not," Mikeltadze said before the washed out season-opener against Central Coast.

Mikeltadze faced a stacked defence from Perth. Wellington are likely to have taken note.

"Perth played with three centrebacks and there wasn't as much space," Jets coach Arthur Papas said. "There were not many opportunities to receive the ball in the box. But when he took his chance, he was clinical.

"We want to get him in the box more often. Part of the way we play, is that there is a bit of fluidity. We give him a licence to also have that freedom. If he has one chance and scores one goal every week, I'll be happy with that."

Goals are a striker's commodity, but there are more layers to Mikeltadze's game.

"We have a striker who is 25-years-old and not even at his peak yet," Papas said. "He has had such a big impact on the league. You saw the way the fans embraced him at the end against Perth.

"For someone to run 100 metres in the 93rd minute and score that goal. Then two minutes later, make another 80-metre run to chase down a player. It is more than just scoring goals with Beka. It is the whole person and what he brings to the club."

Mikleltadze believes the Jets will improve on their first hit out.

"Last year, we played very well in many games, but we lose," Mikeltadze said on the Jets' ninth-placed finish last season. "Against Perth, we did not play our top football, but we win. This is important.

"We need to learn how to win games. We scored a goal and then for about 15 minutes we lost our organisation. That is why they scored.

"But we showed our character. It is one game and we are a new team again. We need more time, two or three games, and we will see how strong we are. I think we are a very strong team - defence, midfield and attack."

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