A-League soccer: Jets skipper Matt Jurman desperate for another clean sheet

But it was the improved effort at the other end - the desperation and application in defence - that has the skipper buoyed entering Saturday's clash with Macarthur at McDonald Jones Stadium.

The Jets held out Western Sydney 1-0 in catch-up game at home on Wednesday night to record just their second clean sheet of the campaign.

Jack Duncan made a couple of quality saves, including a sharp reflex stop at the death, but for a large part the Jets held strong.

They won everything in the air, scrambled well and got a foot in where required.

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Jurman, returning after missing two games with an ankle injury, was key.

"It has been a while since our last clean sheet (a 4-0 win over Wellington on December 10)," Jurman said. "For us, as a team and obviously us defenders, we want to have more clean sheets. It was a positive to get a clean sheet at home.

"As a team we defend together and I think as a team we defended pretty well bar a few chances. The boys scrambled really well and Jack made some good saves.

"The desperation has always been there. We need to keep doing that every week to give us a maximum chance at winning games. At both ends, we need to be desperate and hungry."

The victory continued a five game win-loss-win sequence in February.

"It was an important win at home and something to build on this Saturday," Jurman said. "It is about being consistent and getting results every game. Not just get one [result] then have an off game. We are at home again and hopefully will get a big crowd to get us another three points. Then we can move on."

Macarthur also recorded a 1-0 win mid week, beating Perth despite playing the final 15 minutes with 10 men after a red card to Alek Susnjar.

It was the second time the Bulls have won with 10 men. They came from a goal down to beat the Jets 2-1 after keeper Filip Kurto was sent off. The December 19 match was the last before a COVID-enforced six-week hiatus for the Jets.

"A lot of things have changed since then," Jurman said. "We are focusing on this as a new game. They are well structured and very hard to break down. They have a lot of tall timber at the back and work hard defensively.

"Whatever happens, we need to keep playing the same way and be aggressive. We know we can hurt any team if we play to our maximum we can. Play with high ball speed and punish teams in areas where we can get out strikers and wingers in behind the defence."

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