NEWCASTLE Jets have broken an unwanted club record by losing 2-1 to last-placed Melbourne Victory at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday - their seventh loss in a row.
After a sixth successive defeat in last Monday's 1-0 loss to Western United, equalling the club's worst-ever trot, in 2016-17, the Jets were desperate to avoid creating a new piece of history.
But after dominating most of the first half, they were left ruing two defensive lapses in the second stanza.
The result leaves Newcastle and Victory equal last on the ladder, but the Jets have a superior goal difference.
Jets striker Valentine Yuel had a couple of early chances before Apostolos Stamatelopoulos opened the scoring in the 18th minute, finishing off neatly after lead-up play from Yuel and Roy O'Donovan.
Newcastle went to half-time 1-0 up but could have easily doubled or tripled their lead by that point.
A long-range strike from Luke Prso, in particular, looked goalbound before Jets keeper Matt Action parried it over the crossbar.
Melbourne equalised in the 48th minute when a free kick deflected favourably into the path of defender Dylan Ryan, who headed home.
Barely four minutes later, the home team appeared to have regained the lead when Yuel nodded in after a goalmouth scramble.
But after a protracted delay, the VAR disallowed the "goal" for offside.
Disaster struck for Newcastle in the 79th minute when skipper Nikolai Topor-Stanley turned over possession, Victory pounced and substitute Lleyton Brooks scored.
