It was a tough day at the office for Newcastle in Melbourne on Saturday, but not even a four-goal defeat could wipe the smile off Leia Puxty's face.
The teenage talent had just made her starting debut and played a full game of A-League Women after being promoted to the Jets' starting side in place of injured fullback Tessa Tamplin (hamstring).
It came after the Central Coast 19-year-old had played around eight minutes off the bench in round one then four minutes in round two.
But nothing could compare to the 90-minute match-up against competition heavyweights Melbourne City, who proved far too clinical in a 5-1 rout of their NSW counterparts at Casey Fields.
"It was awesome," Puxty told the Newcastle Herald on Monday. "It was such a good experience to be able to start.
"I had thought about it a fair bit. It's something I've been wanting to do a lot, and I've been working really hard. Tess got hurt and I got my opportunity. I don't think I wasted it at all, to be honest.
"When the game finished, we were obviously disappointed but I couldn't help having a grin on my face because I thought I did really well for my first game."
The Adamstown Rosebud captain and Jets Academy product was signed by Newcastle this campaign after training with the squad last season.
She did not look out of place against the competition's four-time championship winners, defending well and pushing forward to whip crosses into the box.
"Being a sub, you've got so much energy when you come on, but 90 minutes was a different mentality to go into the game," Puxty said.
"[Jets captain] Cass [Davis] spoke to me before the game and said, 'It's just like training with us', and that made me feel so much better.
"I was against Bryleeh [Henry], who I was in [Young Matildas] camp with, so that helped because I knew how she played."
It was Puxty's first 90-minute effort since Adamstown's NPLW Northern NSW campaign ended in September and the Australian junior representative admitted to being "very sore" on Monday.
But the experience has left the exciting left-back craving more.
"It's going to be tough because Tess could be back this week or next week, but my goal is to make it hard for [coach] Ash [Wilson]," she said.
Wilson lamented the result but praised Puxty's performance.
"She's been training hard and she's been taking in information and I thought she had a very solid first outing," Wilson said.
"She gave a really good account of herself. She was comfortable on the ball and defensively she was solid."
The Jets are back in Melbourne this weekend to play Victory, who jumped ahead of Newcastle on the competition standings after beating Perth 3-0 in round four on Sunday.
While Victory rose to six points and fifth place, Newcastle dropped two positions to seventh with four points.
The match is the first of four in two weeks for the Jets.
They return home to play Brisbane on December 23 before heading back to Melbourne a third time for a round-seven fixture against newcomers Western United on December 28.
Newcastle round out a busy festive period by hosting Adelaide on New Year's Eve.
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