Wellington Phoenix continue Jets winless run
Wellington Phoenix boosted their A-League finals hopes on Sunday with a 3-2 victory at Hunter Stadium.
Phoenix moved to sixth place on 23 points with the victory which left the Jets, who have not won in seven matches, second last on 20 points after 18 rounds.
Down 2-1 at halftime, Newcastle equalised inside the first minute after the break when Craig Goodwin scored his second goal. The left winger cut inside his marker and struck a smart shot inside the far post with his non-preferred right foot.
But substitute Jason Hicks put the visitors back in front in the 71st minute when he sent two defenders the wrong way before scoring with a well-placed left-foot strike.
In the first half, both sides created two excellent chances before Carlos Hernandez made the Jets pay for poor work with and without the ball in the 21st minute.
After a sloppy turnover near halfway, Newcastle gave Hernandez too much space close to goal before the Costa Rican wrong-footed two defenders to set up a low, right-foot shot inside the left post.
The Jets, who were without injured marquee man Emile Heskey and recruit David Carney, lost Nick Ward to injury two minutes later but hit back on the 25-minute mark when Goodwin rifled home a left-foot shot after smart work from Zenon Caravella.
After pouncing on a loose ball, Caravella ran towards goal before laying off for a charging Goodwin on the left side.
Hernandez turned provider in the 33rd minute when he passed to Stein Huysegems, whose first touch gave him space and time to bury a low, left-foot strike inside the right post.
Huysegems, the equal leading scorer in the league, and Hernandez were a regular threat to the Jets, who turned over too much ball and were caught flat-footed in defence on several occasions.