Englishman Michael Bridges has marked his return to former club Sydney FC with two goals as Newcastle stunned the Sky Blues with an unexpected 3-1 win at the SFS on Sunday night.
The former Leeds United star, who played nine games for Sydney as a guest player two years ago, scored goals either side of the break to inflict just the second home loss on Sydney this season.
Skipper Matt Thompson grabbed the third goal in the same week he announced he’d be joining new Hyundai A-League outfit Melbourne Heart next season before Alex Brosque responded for Sydney late in the game.
The defeat before 10,114 fans was the Sky Blues’ third in a row, leaving them clinging to second spot five points behind leaders Melbourne.
The Jets climb three places after just their fifth success of the season, climbing to seventh and leaving the competition cellar for Brisbane to occupy ahead of the Roar playing Wellington later on Sunday.
Newcastle was good value for the win, going at the home side early and opening it up on several occasions.
Branko Culina’s side did not need to wait long for a reward.
After being set free into the box following a lovely one-two with Bridges, Jin-Hyung Song was brought down by Rhyan Grant and the penalty decision was an easy one for referee Strebre Delovoski after 22 minutes.
Bridges and Bolton indulged in some mind games before the veteran striker sent his ex-team-mate the wrong way with a low drive into the left-hand corner of the net.
It was the Englishman’s third goal of the campaign.
It was the least the Jets deserved after having a goal disallowed in the 11th minute for offside.
Skipper Matthew Thompson was adjudged to be in front of the last defender when he headed a back post cross into the six yard box for Bridges to nod home.
The Jets could have inflicted further damage in the 34th minute after Bolton, perhaps still dazed after back-pedalling and crashing into the right post earlier, was slow to come off his line for a one-on-one challenge with Sean Rooney.
Rooney’s shot appeared goal-bound but fortuitously for Sydney it struck Bolton in the head and deflected harmlessly away for a corner.
The scare brought the best out of a sluggish Sydney, which began to enjoy its best passages of play.
Terry McFlynn let fly with an ambitious drive from outside the box on 36 minutes, the effort pushing past the left post.
Alex Brosque then joined in the act, taking the ball on a dance down the left touchline.
He cut back infield and rode a tackle before letting fly with his less-favoured right foot.
The shot sailed just wide of its intended mark but at least the Sky Blues were finally making the right noises.
Sydney coach Vitezslav Lavicka introduced John Aloisi at the break and Sydney did look dangerous when the former Qantas Socceroo was on the ball early in the second half.
But against the run of play the Jets snatched a second goal on 50 minutes.
Thompson went in hard against Simon Colosimo on a 50-50 ball, winning the challenge and serving up a defence-splitting pass for Bridges to go one-on-one with Bolton.
For the second time in the evening, he beat Bolton to put the visitors two goals to the good.
Eight minutes later Thompson sealed a stunning upset with the goal of the game.
The skipper involved Rooney and Bridges in some lovely one touch football before side-footing his shot past Bolton, the keeper getting a hand to the effort but unable to prevent the goal.
Alex Brosque pulled one back for Sydney at the 75-minute mark, prospering from Aloisi’s graft in lunging a foot out to a Shannon Cole free kick and re-directing it towards the goalmouth.
The Jets almost caught their hosts out immediately, going up at the other end and pulling the trigger twice only for keeper Bolton and some desperate goal-line defence to deny them.
The Sky Blues continued to pour forward over the closing stages.
But for all their sweat and endeavour they were unable to conjure up the second goal which may have given them an unlikely – and undeserving – shot at a point.
Sydney FC 1 (Brosque 75)
Newcastle Jets 3 (Bridges 22p, 55, Thompson 58)
