Ravaged Jets overpower Wellington for an important win in A-League Women

The victory, which elevated Newcastle to eighth position on 20 points and put them within one point of the top six with seven games to play, was their first under newly installed coach Ryan Campbell.

The match was Campbell's third in charge and did not start under the best circumstances with four forced changes to the starting line-up from Newcastle's 2-0 loss to Central Coast one week earlier.

Lethal sharpshooter Melina Ayres (concussion) and tireless defender Claudia Cicco (COVID) were both unavailable.

Central defender Tash Prior, who has been outstanding for Newcastle since returning to the competition this season, and dynamic young forward Lara Gooch were both recovering from COVID and started on the bench. Neither warmed up before the game.

Coming into the starting side were attacking players Sophie Hoban and Emma Dundas plus defenders Zoe Karipidis and Josie Wilson.

With a new-look backline, it was a shaky start for the Jets.

For the second week in a row they found themselves 1-0 down after four minutes.

Isabel Cox broke away from Karipidis down the right then provided a pinpoint pass into the Jets' box to find Venezuelan international Mariana Speckmaier, who turned three Newcastle defenders inside out before slotting past goalkeeper Izzy Nino into the bottom left corner.

Both sides had chances go begging and Phoenix shot-stopper Brianna Edwards seemed impenetrable before the 33rd-minute equaliser came from an unlikely source.

The ball came out to Karipidis after a Jets free kick and the 18-year-old fired a long-range speculator back into the Wellington box that was misjudged by Edwards and netted the A-League rookie's first goal.

The second half was played end-to-end and came full of entertainment.

The hosts hit the front in the 50^th minute when Libby Copus-Brown buried the ball into the roof of the net from the top of the 18-yard box following a corner.

But Cox put Phoenix back on level terms in the 57^th minute when Macey Fraser played her in behind Prior, who replaced Wilson at half-time, and the American touched the ball around Nino then finished into an open goal.

Edwards denied Sarina Bolden several times in the first half, including a sensational block at the far post, but could not stop the Philippines international from producing the winner with a long-range effort from the left edge of the 18-yard box in the 65^th minute.

It was Bolden's eighth goal in 10 appearances for Newcastle.

Phoenix hit the crossbar in stoppage time then Dundas was denied by Edwards a moment later at the other end.

The Jets face a quick turnaround to play seventh-placed Western Sydney (20 points) in Bathurst on Friday night.

The round-15 A-League Women's game on Sunday against Phoenix was originally scheduled to be played at Maitland Sportsground but was relocated midweek due to forecast extreme heat in the Hunter.

Drinks breaks were still required in each half but the weather conditions were much cooler closer to the coast.