The Newcastle Jets must regroup quickly after their finals hopes took a big hit in the shape of a 3-0 loss to an in-form Adelaide at Coopers Stadium on Friday night.
Fiona Worts produced goals in both halves before Chelsea Dawber scored from the penalty spot to secure a convincing win which ended Newcastle's five-match unbeaten streak and elevated the Reds to 18 points and onto equal footing with second-placed Melbourne City.
The loss was only Newcastle's second of the season and the first since going down 3-1 to unbeaten leaders Sydney in round one.
But it left the sixth-placed Jets on nine points, five adrift of the top four as they turn their focus to Melbourne Victory (12 points) back in Newcastle on Tuesday night.
The match is one of three games the Jets have in hand but they need to start winning, and playing much better than they did in the first half against the Reds if they want to be pushing for a top-four finish.
"We're not showing ourselves from the best side today and our dynamics are not great," Jets forward Marie Dolvik Markussen said post-match.
"We're not creating as much as we want to and as much as we know we can do. We just need to be better. Everyone.
"It's good the next game is coming so fast. We don't have to think, we just keep on going and be better."
The Jets were completely outplayed in the first half by a slick and cohesive Adelaide outfit, who have now won five of their past six outings.
Newcastle goalkeeper Claire Coelho was forced to withstand a barrage of pressure early. She denied Dawber with a reflex save at close range in the sixth minute then saved another shot from the 22-year-old one minute later.
A desperate Coelho dove on the ball on the goal line to stop Worts in the 16th minute.
It was the Englishwoman who finally broke the deadlock when she scored far too easily in the 24th minute from good build-up play.
The ball was played to a free Paige Hayward in space on the left top corner of the 18-yard box. Her square ball into the centre of the box found an advancing Worts, who despite having Jets players all around her, took a touch then fired a left-footed shot into the bottom left corner of the net.
Newcastle looked disjointed in the first half and were exposed in defence on numerous occasions.
The visitors chances were few and far between in the first period. The best opportunity came in the 26th when Ash Brodigan hit the side netting with a shot from the top of the 18-yard box on the counter-attack.
Jets coach Ash Wilson replaced striker Jemma House with the club's all-time leading scorer Tara Andrews at half-time and the move had immediate impact.
Newcastle had their chances to equalise in a much more even second period but could not make them count.
Andrews headed over the bar in the 58th after a perfect cross into the box from Sophie Harding on the right.
Worts' second goal came in the 76th when she ghosted into the box unmarked and tapped in at the back post after a diving Coelho had pushed away Dawber's initial shot.
Dawber put the game well and truly out of Newcastle's reach with 10 minutes left on the clock when she buried the ball into the bottom right corner from the penalty spot after she was felled in the box by Jets centre-back Taren King.
Jets co-captain Gema Simon made her first appearance of the season when she started at left-back. Tiana Jaber made way for the 11-times capped Matilda, who had not played due to a calf injury.
Kirsty Fenton, who is having a break-out debut season in A-League Women, was shifted from left to right-back.
The match was the first of three in 10 days for Newcastle, who play the Sky Blues at No.2 Sportsground on February 13.
