A-League soccer, 2023: Newcastle Jets fall to Brisbane Roar as play-off hopes plummet

A well-taken goal by Henry Hore in the 34^th minute, a contentious penalty converted by Jay O'Shea in the 70^th minute and a poked effort from Stefan Scepovic (93rd) secured a precious three points for the home side.

The Roar entered the match at the bottom of the table on 23 points and climbed four places to move above the Jets on goal difference in eighth spot.

Brisbane, Newcastle and Perth, who meet Victory on Sunday, are three points behind sixth-placed Sydney (29 points).

Three rounds remain after this one.

However, the Jets are now winless in the past six and have earned just two points during that stretch.

They had 58 per cent of the ball and had 66 entries in the final third on Saturday but only manufactured one shot on target.

Jets co-captain Matt Jurman was at a loss to explain the poor result.

"It's disappointing. We came here with the right mindset, but the performance wasn't good enough," he said.

"We need to keep fighting. There are still nine points up for grabs. We go back home next week and it is important to get three points."

Arthur Papas made one forced change from the side which gave up a last equaliser for a 1-all draw with Melbourne City.

Japanese flyer Manabu Saito came in for Beka Mikeltadze, who succumbed to a shoulder issue he suffered early against City, but played out the game.

Noah Smith, Kai Trewin and Jez Lofthouse were the fresh faces in a Roar side coming off a 4-1 defeat to Central Coast.

The home side were straight on the front foot and nearly went ahead inside the first minute when Hore stood up Carl Jenkinson, but his curling effort flashed past the right post.

The Jets had an appeal for a penalty turned down in the eighth minute after Angus Thurgate chipped a cross that stuck the out-stretched upper arm of Tom Aldred.

But VAR Kris Griffiths-Jones ruled it was OK.

half of the Roar's 20 goals have come from set pieces and they went close to adding another in the 27^th minute.

A Jay O'Shea freekick cannoned into the wall. The rebound fell for Trewin, who fired a cross to the near post. Scepovic made good contact with a header but it fizzed over the bar.

The Roar had the ascendancy, and in the 35^th minute they had a goal to show for it.

Trewin delivered a pass to Hore on the edge of the box and he turned and hit a low drive into the left corner.

Stung in to action, the visitors finished the half strongly.

Saito danced into the box in the 41^st minute but after beating three defenders, his shot was blocked.

The Jets had 58 per cent of the ball in the first half but did less with it.

The Roar crafted seven shots to two and led the corner count 5-3.

Brisbane defender Scott Neville nearly made it 2-0 three minutes into the second half but his stinging shot from 15 metres was well saved by Michael Weier.

Roar substitute Jordan Courtney-Perkins had a great chance to seal the result in the 63^rd minute but, with only Weier to beat, screwed his shot wide.

O'Shea made amends seven minutes later from the penalty spot after a contentious decision against Thurgate.

Thurgate and Hore went to contest a ball. They appeared shoulder-to-shoulder but Hore went to ground. After intervention from the VAR, rookie referee Shane Skinner went to the sideline to view a replay and pointed to the spot.

Scepovic iced the win in injury time, sliding in and then poking home after Weier failed to clean up a low cross.