Angus Thurgate reached more than one milestone in the last week.
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The Port Macquarie product scored a half-century playing backyard cricket with some of his teammates at the Newcastle Jets after notching up his 50th A-League appearance.
It was some well-earned downtime for Thurgate, who has started all nine games this season and featured in every minute of the Jets' unbeaten run over the last five rounds.
Being a regular part of the first XI, clocking up 90-minute efforts and repeating his goal-scoring performance from the weekend top his priority list as he eyes another fifty matches in the national competition, starting with Wellington at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday.
"That's exactly what I want," Thurgate, who re-signed with the Jets until the end of 2023 earlier this month, said.
"I'm still fairly young, just turned 21, so to be able to do that week in and week out is something I need to get better at. Performing consistently at a high level and hopefully popping up with a goal or two."
He admitted hitting the mark for Newcastle was "pretty special" and even hinted at trying to "play 50 in a row" to emulate fellow Jets midfielder Steven Ugarkovic, who recently reached 100 consecutive outings.
Putting the ball in the back of the net in the 72nd minute, earning the Jets a 1-0 win against Victory in Melbourne, was icing on the cake following conversations with coach Craig Deans.
"Deansy has been speaking to me and trying to get me forward up the pitch," Thurgate said.
"To take a risk, especially when we have the ball, so it was nice to have an opportunity come in front of me and I lucky enough to snap it up."
Team wise, the Jets find themselves inside the top six having picked up 11 of 15 available points since January 24 when they last met the now bottom-placed Phoenix.
"I feel like even at the start of the season we weren't playing too badly," Thurgate said.
"We've stuck together, trusted in Deansy and it feels like there's a bit more continuity within the group to keep playing the way he wants to play. The last five games just show that if you keep at it for a while it will eventually click."
Thurgate remains wary of visiting Wellington.
"They're a good team despite what the ladder says," he said.
"They have quality all over the park. Some good players up front, some dangerous players and we'll be very wary of them.
"They're a fit, energetic team that like to go on the counter and we'll be ready for it."
We'll go through go thru what need do during week ready for sunday.
As for the backyard cricket, Thurgate was dismissed for 60 after hitting a six and reckons "it was the only way they were going to get me out".
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