The Lowedown: Costly loss a reality check for Newcastle Jets

To me that is a sign of mediocrity, rather than huge competitiveness.

The Jets, in my eyes, are in a race with Wellington and Sydney for places five, six and seven come season's end, unless a usually frugal Brisbane outfit can mount a late-season renaissance, particularly in the front third.

Perth would need to match their home form on the road, and that's a questionable ask.

Macarthur are spiralling towards the spoon, and Western United and Melbourne Victory would need to win a little too regularly to launch late runs.

So even though the Jets are four points from second and six points from the bottom (how bizarre is that) and have a vital game in Wellington on Saturday afternoon, I suspect they should have had an extra three points in the bag, putting table pressure on Wellington.

If the Jets had garnered three points from 12th-placed Western, as they should have last week, a loss for Wellington would have left them five points in arrears with eight fairly tough games to go.

Newcastle's run in is not totally dissimilar, so squandering three points against the bottom-placed side, as of kick-off time last week, was poor however you look at it.

If the Jets win on Saturday they will be only two points clear of an obvious semi-final rival.

Why did that happen after an unbeaten run of six games that yielded 12 valuable points? Flatness after a run of games in the heat? Hmmm, maybe, but Western are not the most athletic team. What then? Well, what was the secret of the six-game run?

Tighter defence, no early concession of goals - meaning you have to chase results - and a team happy to pick up a point where necessary.

Last week they were more expansive, deliberately against a lower-placed team, and partly understandably.

But Western are most comfortable against teams trying to go around them, blocking passing lanes and dealing with crosses.

They won a grand final against a cocksure Melbourne City last season doing exactly the same thing.

Newcastle certainly had their moments, but if you make an honest assessment, the better second-half chances fell on the break to Western, and they might easily have scored more. Perhaps there was residual overestimation of their 4-0 win over a hapless (and tired) Brisbane, who repelled Melbourne City the week before.

Three of their very good goals on that occasion were from one-pass movements between 50-80 metres from goal. Breaking team anyone?

The good news is Wellington fancy themselves as a footballing team and will push numbers forward, leaving the Jets with more space to play in, and naturally more compact.

I read with interest speculation about the output of Beka Mikeltadze earlier in the week, and we should not forget he is clearly Newcastle's most talented player.

He needs the ball more often, particularly when the Jets are allowed space in wider areas. Playing it safe and wide can lead to key central targets drifting out of the game.

All is not lost, of course.

A clean sheet, and more touches for their talisman, would help immeasurably on a pitch that might be slightly untidy after the rugby league (first leg of the multi) on Friday night. Still much to play for, and fight for.

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