RAMY Najjarine provided a parting gift but it wasn't enough to save the Newcastle Jets from a 2-1 loss to the Brisbane Roar at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday night.
With the Jets down 1-0, Najjarine was introduced on the hour and within two minutes he provided a lifeline, swinging a corner from the right which clipped the head of Jay O'Shea and nestled in the net.
The contribution could be the 21-year-old's last for the Jets.
On loan from Melbourne City, Najjarine departs with the Olyroos to Spain on Wednesday and won't play again this season.
Had the silken-skilled midfielder not been restricted to 12 starts due to a spate of ankle injuries, the season may have played out differently for the Jets.
Again it was another tale of disappointment for the home side.
Both Brisbane goals involved wicked deflections.
In the 34th minute, Alex Parsons unleashed a shot from the edge of the penalty box which struck the leg of teammate Riku Danzaki, wrong-footed keeper Jack Duncan and bounced into the right corner.
Then, after the Jets had equalised, the football gods smiled again on Brisbane.
O'Shea made up for his error, lashing a shot from the 15 meres which struck the leg of Jets replacement Lucas Mauragis and left Duncan stranded.
"We are disappointed in the manner in which we lost the game again," frustrated Jets coach Craig Deans said. "Brisbane are obviously a good team and had more of the ball than we did.
"But I thought we defended quite well for the majority of the game. Whether we could get out early to the shots and get a better block on them, I'm not sure.
"It is a pretty cruel way to concede two goals."
While both of the Roar's goals involved luck, the visitors controlled the majority of the match.
The Jets manufactured one shot - off target - and delivered just one ball into the penalty area in the first half.
They were better in the second half.
Mauragis and fellow teenager Archie Goodwin came on and provided energy and forward running. Najjarine was also dangerous.
More than three months has elapsed since the Jets' last win - a 1-0 triumph over runaway leaders Melbourne City. The loss to the Roar was their 11th defeat, with their only points coming from three draws
They remain nailed to the bottom of the ladder on 14 points, a point behind Melbourne Victory, with games against Melbourne City (away), Central Coast (a) and Perth (home) to play.
The Jets made three changes from the unlucky 1-0 loss to the Mariners. Jordan O'Doherty, John Koutroumbis and keeper Jack Duncan were the new faces. It was Duncan's first start since March 13.
The Roar welcomed back captain Tom Aldred from a hamstring injury.
The two teams set up almost identically, which made for a cagey opening 20 minutes bereft of any real attacking thrust.
The Jets were given a let off in the 26th minute when Dylan Wenzel-Halls found the back of the net with a header but was flagged for offside. The VAR confirmed the ruling, but only by the slightest of margins.
Good fortune was on the visitors side eight minutes later when Danzaki opened the scoring.
It was an all too familiar story for the Jets. The intensity dipped, they started to give away fouls and were hemmed in their own end.
The Jets manufactured one shot - off target - and delivered just one ball into the penalty area in the first half.
Brisbane were not a whole lot better. They had 62 per cent of possession but apart from the deflected goal, Duncan wasn't tested.
In need of a spark, Jets Deans introduced Goodwin and Mauragis after the break.
Roy O'Donovan had a golden chance to equalise four minutes into the second half after a failed clearance by Scott Neville. The ball bounced high but, with keeper Jamie Young off his line, the striker tried to lob a shot which didn't have enough power and was cleaned up by Aldred.
O'Donovan's effort was evidence of how low the Jets confidence has dropped.
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