Adelaide United has come from behind to register a crucial 3-2 win over the Newcastle Jets in their National Youth League fixture at Adamstown Oval on Saturday afternoon.
Adelaide went into the match on the bottom of the NYL ladder and desperately needing a win to stay in contention for the race for a finals berth and they started better when Francesco Monterosso scored after just 12 minutes.
The Jets finally found their rhythm and took the lead with attractive goals to Steven Veleski and Jacob Pepper to hold a 2-1 lead at half-time.
But the Reds showed more determination in the second half to hit back with a goal to Liam Wooding before an own goal on 70 minutes handed the visitors a deserved win.
The victory lifts off the foot of the ladder and moves them to within two points of a top-four spot while the Jets remain in sixth place with the rest of the round to play.
The match began in balmy conditions and it was the home who side who forced the pace with nippy forward Fabian Iacovelli firing some dangerous crosses into the box.
However it was the visitors who scored the opener from a set piece in just the 12th minute. A dipping Brett Rayner free-kick from 30 metres out forced a diving save from Jets goalkeeper Robbie Kolak who could only parry the ball. It fell to Monterosso, who buried the ball into the back of the net from point-blank range.
The Jets looked to hit back and created a great chance just nine minutes later when striker Zhang Shou played a nice one-two with Veleski inside the box but the Chinese import blazed his shot over the crossbar.
Shou should then have scored when one on one with Reds keeper Nicholas Munro before Scott Petit saw his goal-bound shot deflected over the bar after some desperate scrambling defence from Daniel Scordo.
The Jets eventually equalised after an incisive run from Veleski who took the ball from the midfield and into the Adelaide box before sliding a shot past Munro and inside the far post to make it 1-1 after 34 minutes.
The home side took the lead just five minute before half-time after another raid from Veleski down the left flank. The speedy forward crossed into the box where the Adelaide defence cleared the ball as far as the edge of the area only for Newcastle midfielder Jacob Pepper to plough a volley into the back of the net for the Jets to hold a 2-1 lead at the break.
Adelaide came out the hungrier of the two sides to begin the second half and were on level terms after 65 minutes after some good work from Monterosso and Rayner put Liam Wooding through on goal and he was able to chip the ball over Kolak and into the net to make it 2-2.
With the momentum behind the visitors, Adelaide continued to attack and were rewarded when a cross from Jackson Groves was deflected into the Newcastle goal by Jets defender Nathan Millgate for Adelaide to lead 3-2 after an 70 minutes.
Adelaide looked like they had scored their third goal in 10 minutes when substitute Kym Harris put the ball into the net from a curling Rayner free-kick but the assistant referee had his flag up for an infringement in the box.
The Jets lifted in the final 15 minutes as they searched for a late equaliser. Iacovelli had the best of the chances when Luke Remington sent a looping cross into the penalty area but Iacovelli-s header went wide of the far post and Adelaide hung on for an important victory.
Newcastle Jets 2
Veleski 34-, Pepper 40-
Adelaide United 3
Monterosso 12-, Wooding 65-, Millgate (og) 70-
