NEWCASTLE Jets equalled an unwanted club record on Monday night when they were beaten 1-0 by Western United at McDonald Jones Stadium - their sixth loss in a row.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The defeat means Newcastle have now matched their six-game losing streak of 2016-17.
They next host Melbourne Victory on Saturday in what is shaping as a battle for the wooden spoon, given that Victory sit last, with the Jets three points and one rung higher on the competition ladder.
The Jets were stunned in the opening minute when, with alarming ease, Dylan Pierias found Lachlan Wales with a pinpoint pass and the winger fired it past Jets goalkeeper Lewis Italiano to score.
Not even 40 seconds had elapsed after kick-off.
Newcastle regrouped after the disastrous start and dominated for much of the first half.
In the 31st minute, striker Valentino Yuel produced an acrobatic overhead kick but the ball flew over the crossbar.
Likewise, a Nikolai Topor-Stanley header in the 44th minute was marginally too high to threaten United goalkeeper Ryan Scott.
The Jets also came agonisingly close to equalising in the 64th minute, when Yuel whipped in a cross and found winger Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, who flicked it into the side net.
The visitors appeared to have doubled their lead in the 69th minute through prolific striker Besart Berisha, only to be denied by the video referee.
Newcastle piled on the pressure in the final 10 minutes but United clung on desperately for a win that lifts them to within two points of sixth-placed Sydney FC.
