A-League soccer, 2023: Newcastle Jets weather Macarthur and fierce storm in longest game in A-League history

The match, initially put back for an hour due to the heat, was twice delayed due to a fierce electrical storm.

After kicking off at 6pm, referee Steve Lucas finally blew full-time at 10pm.

The four-hour duration eclipsed a match between English clubs Stockport and Donscaster Rovers which was played over 3 hours and 23 minutes in 1946.

In the end, a Trent Buhagiar strike in the eighth minute - before the first lightning delay - proved the difference.

The Jets had to defend for large periods in the second half, but they had an answer for every punch the Bulls threw at them.

Keeper Jack Duncan, playing his 100^th game, was outstanding.

Matt Jurman and Carl Jenkinson won everything at the back, while the midfield trio of Mo Al-Taay, Angus Thurgate and Kosta Grozos got through a power of work.

The clean sheet was the Jets' first in seven games.

The win followed a 2-1 triumph over Melbourne Victory, collecting back-to-back three points for the first time since the opening two rounds.

Three points moved the Jets alongside Western Sydney, Wellington and Sydney in equal fourth spot on 24 points, but seventh on goal difference.

"It was crazy, I have never been involved in anything like that," Jets defender and former Arsenal star Carl Jenkinson told Paramount Plus . "Credit to the lads, we stuck to what we were doing. We started really well. The second 10 minutes when we came out, we weren't as good as we can be. The second break done us the world of good because we got going again. It was a strange night, but it was great to come here and get three points."

The Jets are now unbeaten in six games and have conceded only five goals in that resurgence.

"I think we have persevered with what the boss has encouraged us to do with our style of play, and we have tightened up defensively," Jenkinson said.

"The group has just worked their socks off to get to this point and we are getting rewarded now. We have great spirit amongst the group and things are coming together now."

With hot weather predicted, kick-off was put back an hour to 6pm, but it was still a scorching 32 degrees at 5.30pm.

However, a cool change arrived just before kick-off, with a storm whipped in by a southerly buster.

The Jets were against the breeze in the first half but it worked in their favour eight minutes in.

Grozos knocked a long ball which held up in the air. Bulls defender Jonathan Aspropotamitis tried to clear, but played the ball into the path of Buhagiar, who hit a first time shot which caught the glove of Philip Kurto and bounced into the goal.

The heavens opened in the 10^th minute, with driving rain making tough conditions even tougher before play was halted in the 15^th minute due to lightning.

READ MORE: MIKELTADZE TAKES AIM AT BULLS

Under A-League conditions of play, lightning triggers an automatic 30-minute delay. With every further lightning strike in the area, the 30 minutes was restarted.

Play eventually resumed at 7.50pm - 95 minutes after it was halted - in heavy rain.

Play progressed for 12 minutes before referee Steve Lucas pulled the match up for a second time due to more lightning, much to the frustration of the players and coaching staff.

After plenty of questions and debate, match commissioner Rachelle Arranz set a restart time of 8.35pm.

Not surprisingly, it took time for both side to find their rhythm.

The Jets had the better of play up until half-time in a period punctuated by turnovers.

However, the visitors had a reflex save from Duncan to deny Aspropotamitis in stoppage time to thank for holding a 1-0 advantage at the break - which came three hours after the game started.

The Jets lived dangerously early in the second half as the Bulls pushed numbers forward.

Bulls Replacement Jed Drew had a header flash past the left post in the 65^th minute and Ali Auglah blazed high in the 75^th as the chances started to mount.

But the Jets held strong and banked a valuable win.