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 10 games this season and featured in every minute of the Jets' five-match unbeaten run which ended in a 2-0 loss to Wellington on Sunday.
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.
"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."
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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