Victory came to life and broke their six-game Ninja A-League winless run with a 2-1 win against Newcastle Jets.
Newcastle failed to capitalise on their early dominance and it was the quality of Victory substitute Holly Furphy that ultimately decided the game at John McEwen Reserve in Shepparton.
Victory move up to fifth in the table with 20 points, edging out Adelaide United on goal difference. The defeat means Newcastle remain in ninth on 16 points, four adrift of the top six.
The wind blew in favour of the Jets in the first half and their press nearly paid dividends after six minutes when Alexis Collins saw her shot well saved by Courtney Newbon. Josie Allan, who led Newcastle’s high press, had the beating of Rosie Curtis and created the bulk of the visitor’s early chances. The 19 year-old roamed across the final third and racked up five shots in the opening half-hour.
The hosts registered their first encouraging effort at goal shortly afterward, when Taylor Ray’s long-range effort fizzed past the post.
Newcastle, desperate to take the lead while the wind was behind them, unleashed a flurry of shots on goal at the close of the first half but never demanded much of Newbon in the Victory goal.
Sofia Sakalis struck the bar from outside the box as Victory struggled to bring the second half under their control. Curtis’s late challenge on Sophie Hoban warranted a booking and gave the frustrated hosts their fifth yellow card of the game.
The hosts needed a stroke of luck to finally get their opening goal just after the hour mark. Alana Jancevski — who had been dropped from the starting eleven that lost to Canberra United last week — was introduced and curled in a corner that bobbled through the Newcastle box and was sliced in by Jets fullback Claudia Cicco.
10 minutes later, Allan was played into the Victory box by a clever flick from Collins and went down in the contest for the loose ball. The referee pointed to the spot and Kelli Brown converted the equaliser high to the keeper’s left.
In the 80th minute, as though the goals were on ten minute timers at John McEwen Reserve, Victory substitute Holly Furphy controlled a bouncing ball inside the area and curled a left-footed shot into the far corner past Georgia Ritchie.
