Third-bottom Newcastle Jets have secured a shock 2-1 A-League Men victory over second-placed Adelaide United at Coopers Stadium.
United dominated Saturday night's contest from the first whistle and spent much of the first half camped in the Jets' defence, but they failed to find a way through.
The visitors scored against the run of play and, while Adelaide equalised just before the break, Newcastle nabbed a second goal following the resumption and held on for maximum points.
Jets coach Robbie Stanton believed some tweaks during the break had Newcastle well-placed for the win.
"We absorbed a lot of pressure and we didn't get our press higher up the park right," he said.
"We made a couple of adjustments, that enabled us to get more control, a little bit more of the ball and we got a second goal which I thought we deserved."
United's first chance arrived on six minutes following a cross from Yaya Dukuly.
Archie Goodwin couldn't direct it goal-bound and Stefan Mauk blasted the follow up, but a desperate sliding challenge from Mark Natta saw the ball fly over the bar.
The Reds should have broken the deadlock on 18 minutes when Dylan Pierias drilled a first-time cross for Goodwin who skewed it wide from close range.
United continue to play the game in the Jets' defensive half and on 26 minutes Ryan White unleashed from 25 metres and rattled the cross bar.
For all the home side's domination, it was Newcastle who scored first.
Kota Mizunuma delivered a pinpoint cross from the right which picked out Lachlan Rose who ghosted perfectly between the Reds' central defenders.
The Jets' striker powered a header into the top corner leaving United keeper Ethan Cox no chance.
Adelaide were undeterred and equalised through Mauk in first-half injury time.
Pierias looped a cross into the Jets' penalty area which Natta cleared, but it fell perfectly for Mauk who controlled and found the back of the net with a clean half volley on the turn.
Newcastle regained their lead 10 minutes into the second half following a lightning run from Clayton Taylor.
The winger collected the ball on halfway and burst past United defender Bart Vriends with his first touch.
Taylor sprinted towards goal and fired a powerful shot from just inside the area which Cox got a hand to, but couldn't keep out.
United pressed forward in search of a leveller but struggled to carve out any clear-cut opportunities.
On 80 minutes makeshift left back Ethan Alagich drove forward and latched onto a through ball from Ben Folami and squared across the Jets' penalty area finding Mauk, but he scuffed his shot and sent it wide.
Debutant Amlani Tatu had a chance for Adelaide in the closing stages but hit the side netting.
United coach Carl Veart was disappointed by the manner in which his side yielded to the Jets.
"It's frustrating to drop points and in the way we did as well," he said.
"We can find excuses but at the end of the day we were a little bit lethargic tonight I would say."
