Newcastle coach Arthur Papas hopes the controversial red card issued to Jets playmaker Daniel Penha in Perth on Wednesday night will be reviewed by officials and possibly rescinded.
Penha was sent off late in Newcastle's 0-0 draw with Glory at HBF Park after a collision with Perth's Giordano Colli while vying for the ball left both players on the ground.
The Newcastle player's right arm appeared to make contact with Colli as he put himself between the Perth player and the ball.
Referee Daniel Elder immediately blew a free kick in favour of the Jets before a melee erupted around the two players.
Then, in consultation with the fourth official, Perth goalkeeper Liam Reddy was handed a yellow card, Colli was also issued a yellow card and Penha given his marching orders.
Papas said the injury-time incident was "confusing".
"The opinion was that he had swung his arm but I was really disappointed with the decision," Papas said.
"He's probably been hit 12 to 15 times in the game consistently, and in that situation we got awarded the free kick because he got hit really hard in that tackle.
"The player who hit him got a yellow card, it was our free kick, and the next thing he's walking off the ground, so it was confusing to say the least, and disappointing considering it was a pretty targeted plan by them to consistently go after him.
"I felt it was disappointing that we don't protect these type of creative players and, in the end, they're on the end of these decisions."
A red card is usually an automatic one-match suspension but, as of Thursday evening, the club were still awaiting the outcome of the Match Review Panel from Football Australia.
After watching replays, Papas was convinced "there was no malice" intended and the incident "needs to get looked at with a lot more scrutiny and adjudged a bit clearer than what was adjudged at the time".
"He was just protecting himself from the tackle coming in, the arm is completely straight," Papas said.
The draw left the Jets in ninth position with 22 points. They are on level footing with Central Coast in eighth and three behind seventh-placed Sydney and Melbourne Victory in sixth spot. But they are also only six points off Adelaide (28) in third place.
While there is still plenty of points to play for, the loss of Penha could prove telling. He has played in all 18 games for Newcastle, who have another quick turnaround to face Brisbane (17 points) in Brisbane on Sunday.
"It's disappointing for where we're at in the season to possibly lose Daniel now," Papas said.
"You won't cover him specifically with what he brings but there's opportunities for someone else to bring a different type of characteristic into the team that can still be really beneficial for us.
"I'm more disappointed that Daniel will miss a game for something other than an injury."
The send-off came in the 92nd minute and the Jets then had two late chances on goal go begging in what was a difficult end to the match.
They controlled the first half and perhaps their best chance of the night came in the 21st when Beqa Mikeltadze rounded Reddy but shot wide of an open net from a tight angle.
"It's always a difficult place to go, with time difference, with travel, so to keep a clean sheet is important ... we at least come back with a point and a clean sheet and look forward to the next game," Papas said.
