A 10-man Melbourne Victory fell to a 2-1 loss to the Newcastle Jets in the Isuzu UTE A-League on Saturday.
Summary
Jake Brimmer’s opener had Victory on track at AAMI Park before the game turned on the back of Josh Brillante’s red card early in the second half.
Valentino Yuel levelled for the Jets before Beka Mikeltadze converted a 70th-minute penalty.
Victory was on top throughout the first half and Francesco Margiotta tested Jets goalkeeper Jack Duncan with a 30-yard effort in the 11th minute.
Despite the dominance, Victory was unable to create much of note until late in the half.
Jason Davidson saw a strike incredibly cleared off the line by Dane Ingham in the 35th minute.
Victory thought it had an opener through Brendan Hamill’s close-range volley, but the effort was ruled out for offside.
However, the opener came via Brimmer’s first goal of the season.
Margiotta found Ben Folami with a pass to the left and the attacker ran at the Jets defence before picking out Marco Rojas, whose close-range strike was saved by Duncan but fell into the path of Brimmer to tuck away.
Victory went close to doubling the lead shortly after the break, Margiotta firing over after a one-two with Folami.
But the game turned in the 48th minute as Brillante was sent off after being shown a second yellow card.
Newcastle thought it had equalised almost immediately, but Jason Hoffman’s strike was ruled out for offside.
The Jets did draw level prior to the hour-mark, Yuel getting on the end of a Daniel Penha pass to equalise.
Newcastle went ahead with 20 minutes remaining, Mikeltadze converting from the penalty spot.
Victory almost equalised in additional time as Hamill forced a great save from Duncan from Brimmer’s corner, but it fell to defeat.
Key moment
What they said – Brimmer
on the result…
“Frustrated. I think we had the better chances in the first half, limited them to barely anything, just very disappointed.”
on the penalty…
“Referee has a decision, he’s made the decision, from my point of view it was pretty soft.”
Player in focus
Jason Geria again worked tirelessly for Victory at right-back in the defeat.
Implications
Victory sits fifth on the table after the loss, but has at least a game in hand on all four teams above it.
Result
Isuzu UTE A-League 2021/22 Round 14
Melbourne Victory 1 (Jake Brimmer 45+2′)
Newcastle Jets 2 (Valentino Yuel 57′, Beka Mikeltadze 70′)
Melbourne Victory: Kelava (gk); Geria, Hamill, Spiranovic (Roderick 66′), Davidson (Nigro 80′); Brillante (c), Broxham; Rojas (D’Agostino 66′), Brimmer, Folami (Velupillay 81′); Margiotta (Ikonomidis 53′).
Newcastle Jets: Duncan (gk); Ingham, Elsey, Regan (Mauragis 73′), Hoffman; Thurgate, Arques (O’Doherty 73′); Yuel (Siatravanis 84′), Penha (Al-Taay 84′), Grozos (Boumal 62′); Mikeltadze.
Yellow cards: Elsey 5′, Mikeltadze 21′, Brillante 28’/48′, Velupillay 86′
Red cards: Brillante 48′
Attendance: TBA
Venue: AAMI Park
Next up
Victory’s busy run of games continues with a trip to face the Western Sydney Wanderers on Wednesday.
