The Newcastle Jets' defensive and attacking woes, highlighted by a missed penalty, have continued in a 2-0 loss to Macarthur at Campbelltown Stadium in A-League on Sunday afternoon.
The defeat, Newcastle's seventh of the season, left the Jets in ninth position with 12 points as the Bulls rose to 17 points and fourth.
The visitors, who have now only scored once in their past five outings, came out firing and dominated the first 20 minutes of play.
But, as has been the case on a number of occasions this campaign, the Jets were unable to capitalise with possession and the chances created in the final third.
Jaushua Sotirio found himself in space in the fourth minute but his shot from the left lacked conviction. Reno Piscopo hit the woodwork in the 18th minute and defenders James McGarry and Jordan Elsey both headed over the crossbar from corners before the Bulls even had a chance on goal.
That first opportunity finally came for the hosts in the 20th minute when Ulises Davila's glancing header was tipped out by shot-stopper Jack Duncan, who was outstanding for Newcastle on Sunday and in the end kept the scoreline respectable with a number of clutch saves.
The first Bulls' goal came against the run of play in the 43rd minute when Dane Ingham failed to deal with Davila's long ball and Al Hassan Toure held off the Jets right-back then tucked the ball past Duncan into the bottom left corner of the net.
The Jets had the chance to level moments later in a dramatic end to the first half but striker Beka Mikeltadze, who wore the captain's armband against the Bulls, put a shot from the penalty spot wide of the goals in stoppage time.
The opportunity came after Sotirio was crunched in the Bulls' 18-yard box by a flying shot-stopper Filip Kurto, who was handed a yellow card for his late challenge.
Newcastle played as though they were down on confidence in the second half while the Bulls came out of the sheds with an intent that had the result never looking in doubt.
Toure was unmarked at the back post when he put a shot over the crossbar in the 49th, Duncan denied Craig Noone in the 51st then Davila headed the ball into the post in the 52nd as the Bulls launched relentless attacking raids.
The second goal came in the 78th minute after McGarry, who replaced Jets co-captain and former Arsenal defender Carl Jenkinson in the starting side, turned over the ball deep in Newcastle territory.
The Bulls made the most of it with Davila burying a left-footed shot into the net from close range after Duncan had denied Kearyn Baccus' initial attempt.
It could easily have been 3-0 late when Jets centre-back turned over the ball on halfway and Macarthur had three players racing towards goals with only Mark Natta and Duncan in their way. The latter parried away the eventual shot.
The result overshadowed a record 197th appearance for the Jets by home-grown fullback Jason Hoffman.
The 33-year-old, who played the final 15 minutes of the match, surpassed Ben Kantarovski's effort of 196 outings.
Midfielder Callum Timmins came in for Beka Dartsmelia in the other change Jets coach Arthur Papas made to his starting side after a 2-0 loss to Sydney FC one week earlier.
Defensive midfielder and co-captain Brandon O'Neill did not play, reportedly due to a calf complaint. Forward Trent Buhagiar plus centre-back Matt Jurman, also one of the Jets' co-captains, dropped out of the squad.
Macarthur coach Dwight Yorke named an unchanged starting line-up from the one which was pumped 4-0 by Western Sydney in their previous outing.
The Jets will need to regroup quickly ahead of their clash with Western United (11 points) in Ballarat next Sunday.
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