A goal in each half to Daniel Penha (16^th minute) and Noah Botic (55th) was enough for the home side to end a seven-game run without a win.

The Jets created plenty of attacking opportunities but a combination of quality goal keeping by Tom Heward-Belle and poor finishing kept them without a goal for just the third game this season.

Western United were reduced to 10 men in the 88^th minute when James Donachie was given a red card after the intervention by the VAR for a horrible, studs-up challenge on Jets captain Brandon O'Neill.

O'Neill played the game out but had to be helped off the field at full-time and is in extreme doubt for the visit by Macarthur next Sunday.

The Jets had earlier lost Kosta Grozos to a hamstring injury.

Jets striker Apostolos Stamatelopoulos went agonisingly close with two headers in stoppage time - one cleared off the line by Josh Risdon and the other finger-tipped over the bar by the brilliant Heward-Belle.

After pushing heavyweights Wellington, Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney in consecutive weeks, the Jets were decidedly flat against a team, which had won just two games.

The Jets remain in 10^th place on 18 points but they could be eight points outside the top six by the end of the weekend.

They have eight rounds remaining, one less than sixth placed Sydney FC (23 points).

Disappointed Jets coach admitted his side with lacking energy after a five-day turnaround.

"We looked very heavy," he said. "I do think we created enough chances, some really clear cut. Tommy had a top game, their keeper. In saying that I thought we were a bit flat, a bit heavy. We weren't doing the things we have been doing well. We invited pressure through poor decision making. Mentally we looked fatigued, physically too. We didn't match their energy. We got done and rightly so unfortunately."

As expected, Rob Stanton brought in Daniel Wilmering for Clayton Taylor, who moved to the bench after only training once this week due to a cork in his leg.

Western coach John Aloisi handed an A-League debut to defender Charbel Shamoon in one of three changes from the 2-0 loss to Wellington.

The home side had gone seven games without a win but if Western were lacking confidence, it didn't show it early.

Matt Grimaldi had a great chance to open the scoring in the eight minute after a cheap turnover from the Jets but his shot from 10 metres sprayed to the left.

The opening quarter-hour was end to end, with both teams asking plenty of questions.

It was the home side which struck first from the spot in the 16^th minute.

Penha fired a shot which struck the arm of Nathan Grimaldi. The defender had turned his back but his arm was raised in what was deemed an unnatural position.

The Brazilian and former Jets made no mistake, delivering a audacious Panenka to beat a diving Ryan Scott.

Grimaldi had a chance to make amends in the 19^th minute but his volley rose over the bar.

In a blow for the visitors, Grozos limped off in the 24^th minute with a hamstring injury and was replaced by Callum Timmins.

Penha was in everything as Western continued to dictate terms. They fired eights shots to one in the opening 30 minutes.

It was a much stronger finish to the half by the visitors.

Heward-Belle produced two reflex saves in quick succession to deny Trent Buhagiar.

His efforts were matched by Scott in the dying moments of the first half, stopping a stinging Grimaldi effort from point-blank range.

Stanton introduced Taylor for Tom Aquilina at the break.

Taylor added a new dimension to the attack as the Jets started to mount pressure.

Stamatelopous had a header saved and Taylor had a shot blocked off the line.

But the revival was short-lived.

A tough assignment became an enormous task in the 57^th minute when Botic got between Mark Natta and Lucas Mauragis and lobbed a header over Scott.

The Jets thought they had pulled a goal back two minutes later when replacement Daniel Stynes, with his first touch, stroked a Stamatelopoulos cross past Heward-Belle.

But the striker was flagged for offside.

Buhagiar should have given the Jets a lifeline in the 77^th minute when left unmarked inside the six-yard box but he directed his header straight at the keeper.