ERNIE Merrick became the first coach to notch 300 A-League games on Friday night and the master mentor is going to need all that experience to turn around the Jets' slow start to the campaign.
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The Jets slumped to a second straight defeat going down 4-1 to a rampant Sydney FC at Leichhardt Oval and could find themselves bottom of the table by the end of the weekend.
The season is only four games old and the Jets matched the Sky Blues in patches. But they couldn't go the distance when the defending champions pressed the go-button.
Merrick had only racked up 151 games when the Jets last beat the Sky Blues in Sydney. Emile Heskey was one of the Jets' goal-scorers in a 3-2 win in October 2012.
After going behind to a Milos Ninkovic goal in the sixth minute, the visitors replied two minutes later though Matt Millar.
The Jets spurned a couple of chances before Adam Le Fondre produced a quality finish to restore Sydney's lead three minutes before the break.
In the second half the Sky Blues were clearly on top and added two more to the total through an own-goal by Johnny Koutroumbis (51st minute) and a tap-in for Kosta Barbarouses (65th minute).
It doesn't get any easier for the Jets, who host last season's beaten grand finalists Perth next Saturday.
"I'm happy that my 300th is finished with. We have to move on from here," a disappointed Merrick said. "We struggled in the second half to contain them. That was the first time we have played poorly. The first two games we played well and only got a point. Credit to Sydney they played well. We just have to move on from here and look forward to the next game."
Sydney FC led 2-1 at the break after an entertaining opening 45 minutes that could have yielded more goals.
Le Fondre should have put Sydney ahead inside 20 seconds after Nigel Boogaard made a hash of a ball over the top. However, with only Glen Moss to beat, the former Premier League sharp-shooter chipped wide.
The home side weren't as wasteful five minutes later.
Luke Brattan swooped on an attempted clearance and curled a cross in behind the defence for Ninkovic, who ghosted in at the back post and volleyed home.
Sydney's lead lasted just two minutes. Dimi Petratos delivered a flat freekick into the box for Millar, who climbed high and directed a header into the left corner.
The home side had the bulk of possession and directed most of their attack down the right through Rhyan Grant and Alex Baumjohann.
The Jets had bodies in the box and scrambled well. In attack, they grew in confidence as the half progressed.
Jason Hoffman missed a golden chance to take the lead in the 34th minute when unmarked at the back post.
Just as the visitors were gaining momentum, Sydney struck.
Again it was a Grant cross towards the near post for Le Fondre, who darted across the front of Nikolai Topor-Stanley and turned the ball inside the right post.
Merrick introduced Ben Kantarovski for Thurgate at half-time to tighten up the centre of the park.
However, Sydney restored the two-goal cushion six minutes into the second half.
From a corner, Ryan McGowan muscled in front of the defence and side-footed towards goal. Koutroumbis reacted late and, although he made contact, the ball deflected into his own net.
Any chance the Jets had of a revival evaporated in the 65th minute when Barbarouses produced fancy footwork to cut inside and leave Moss sprawling on the ground before tapping in.
Jets: Glen Moss; Matt Millar, Nigel Boogaard, Nikolai Topor-Stanley, Johnny Koutroumbis; Steve Ugarkovic, Matthew Ridenton; Angus Thurgate (Ben Kantarovski 46 min); Jason Hoffman, Abdiel Arroyo (Nick Fitzgerald 70 min), Dimi Petratos.
Sydney: Andrew Redmayne; Rhyan Grant (Joel King 73 min), Ryan McGowan, Alex Wilkinson (Trent Buhagiar), Paulo Retre; Luke Brattan, Brandon O'Neill, Alex Baumjohann, Milos Ninkovic (Anthony Caceres 69 min); Kosta Barbarouses, Adam Le Fondre.
