The Newcastle Jets' impressive home record this A-League Women's season came to a crashing halt on Friday night, as a ruthless Melbourne Victory side handed them a 3-1 defeat at No.2 Sportsground.
A Night of Ruthless Finishing
Despite entering the match on the back of consecutive home clean sheets, the Jets were undone by the attacking quality of the star-studded Victory. The visitors struck first in the 25th minute through competition-leading scorer Kennedy White, who powered home a free header from an Alana Jancevski delivery.
The Jets showed patches of promising play but were punished for any lapses. Victory's midfield maestros, including Rhianna Pollicina, controlled crucial periods. Pollicina doubled the lead with a spectacular 57th-minute volley, before substitute Nicki Flannery made it three with a close-range finish in the 77th minute.
A late consolation from Jets substitute Lauren Allan, whose 81st-minute shot was fumbled by Victory keeper Courtney Newbon, did little to change the outcome.
Hoyle's Call to Arms: Stop Rolling Out the Red Carpet
Post-match, Jets coach Stephen Hoyle delivered a clear message to his squad. He acknowledged Victory's quality but insisted his team must show more belief when facing the league's heavyweights.
"I don't want us to roll the red carpet out for teams like that," Hoyle stated. "If we want to change the narrative of who we are and go toe-to-toe with the best teams, we can't have that much respect for them on the pitch."
He pointed to positive statistics like possession share as a foundation, but conceded the final-third polish was the decisive difference. "They obviously were ruthless," he admitted.
Looking Ahead After a Sobering Lesson
The result leaves the Jets on 10 competition points and vulnerable to slipping out of the top six. The challenge does not ease, with a daunting fixture against high-flying Canberra United at No.2 Sportsground next Saturday, December 27.
A lone bright spot was the long-awaited return from injury of last season's player of the year, Sophie Hoban. The combative midfielder entered as a 60th-minute substitute and made an immediate physical impact, offering a boost for the fixtures ahead.
Before kick-off, players from both clubs formed a circle for a minute's silence, honouring the victims of the previous weekend's tragic Bondi shootings.
