Coach Ash Wilson wants the Newcastle Jets to be more resilient when under pressure as they look to move on quickly from another devastating loss in Melbourne.
The Jets, who have four points from five outings, slipped to ninth position on the A-League Women's standings and now have the competition's worst defensive record after losing 5-2 to back-to-back champions Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park on Sunday night.
The three-goal defeat came after a 5-1 rout at the hands of Melbourne City and again exposed Newcastle's defensive frailties, particularly on set pieces.
They have leaked 16 goals, three more than last-placed Wellington.
The damage was done early with Victory leading 4-0 by the 25-minute mark.
"We started poorly again, and that's on us," Wilson said.
"Eight minutes in and you're down two goals already. It doesn't matter how good a team you are, and how good a football you have the potential to play, it always makes it very difficult and challenging to come back from that."
Newcastle staged a second-half fightback and had closed the gap to 4-2 by the 73rd minute.
Chicago Red Stars forward Sarah Griffith scored with a long-range effort in the 59th minute then Ash Brodigan finished with a volley in the 73rd after Griffith's initial shot was deflected off a Victory defender.
But Victory captain Kayla Morrison put the game out of Newcastle's reach when she completed a match hat-trick off a goalmouth scramble from a corner in the 87th.
Morrison had scored off a corner in the 19th then a free kick in the 25th. She was left unmarked at the back post for both.
Melina Ayres slotted from the penalty spot in the fifth minute after Jets left-back Leia Puxty had clipped Alana Murphy late in the Jets' 18-yard box. Ayres scored again three minutes later after Alex Chidiac slipped a pass straight through Newcastle's pedestrian backline.
"The deliveries were excellent on the corners and the set pieces," Wilson said.
"We spoke about that a lot during the week and about the importance of making first and second contact ... we continue to review that and continue to look at ways to protect the box a lot better than what we did."
The match was the first of four in a fortnight for Newcastle. After playing Roar, who beat Newcastle 2-1 in round one and are sixth with seven points, Newcastle travel back to Melbourne to face unbeaten newcomers Western United on December 28 then are at home to second-placed Adelaide on New Year's Eve.
"You need to take each game as it comes but it does start to weigh in a little bit when you're missing opportunities either in front of goal or you're conceding easily at the other end," Wilson said.
"As a coaching staff, we need to look at how we do things better and keep pushing this team forward because there's a lot of potential here, and you see snippets of it within games.
"But it's about being consistent, and it's about making sure that you're putting in the performances for 90 minutes, or when aspects of the game get difficult that you're not conceding cheaply. That you're weathering the storm.
"We need to keep building on ourselves and make sure next week against Brisbane we get three points and then hopefully that redemption will kickstart how we want to keep progressing this season."
Jets centre-back Taren King limped from the field late in the match with a knee concern and will be assessed as the week progresses.
In the other game on Sunday night, Rylee Baisden scored a double as Perth Glory rose ahead of Newcastle to five points after beating Canberra 3-2 for their first win of the season.
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