Longo at the double as the Victory savage the Jets

New Zealand international Annalie Longo struck a quickfire double as Melbourne Victory ran riot in a 7-0 win over Newcastle Jets on Sunday.

Longo’s goals were her first in Victory colours and both came inside the opening eight minutes at the No. 2 Sportsground as the visitors stormed their way into third on the Westfield W-League standings.

Captain Natasha Dowie and American Darian Jenkins added two goals before half-time to cap off a dominant first-half from the Victory, before Jenkins added another prior to the hour to secure her brace.

An own goal from Cassidy Davis worsened the woes for the hosts in the final half-hour before Melina Ayres iced the result in the closing stages as the Jets proved second-best throughout the contest.

The performance marks a much-needed signal of intent from the Victory following their Melbourne Derby mauling last week and means they will now battle Sydney FC for a home Semi Final in next week’s final round of the season.

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Key moments

Longo gives the Victory a flying start

The Victory came into the contest knowing a win was crucial to a potential second-place finish and set about securing the points from the get-go.

In just the third minute they had the opener as the well-positioned Longo nodded on an initial volley from Jenna McCormick to get the better of the Jets’ defence for her first goal Victory colours.

Longo at the double just minutes later

The Victory kept coming at the Jets on their home patch and didn’t have to wait long to again find the back of the net – and again it was Longo with the finish.

Capitalising on a deflection off Jets’ defender Libby Copus-Brown, Longo still had plenty to do at the top of the box as she bore down on goal and then tucked away a composed finish to the back post for maiden Westfield W-League brace.

https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6135087516001

Dowie gets in on the act as well

The Victory captain had seen an earlier headed attempt saved, but shortly after the half-hour she had her reward to effectively put a fightback beyond the reach of the Jets.

Picked out by a pin-point pass from Angie Beard, Dowie added a peach of a finish as she lobbed the ball first-time over onrushing goalkeeper Claire Coelho to net her seventh goal of the Westfield W-League season.

https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6135087741001

Jenkins adds another as the Victory come to the four

The Victory bossed the opening half at No.2 Sportsground with over 300 passes and 15 attempts on goal and they underscored that dominance when they added a fourth prior to half-time.

Winger Jenkins had been a threat through-out the half – and should have done better with a chance in the 21st minute – but she became the beneficiary of a goal line scramble that saw the ball twice hit the crossbar before the American reacted quickest to head in from the rebound.

https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6135090459001

Jenkins at it again to make it five

The usually competitive Jets came no closer to finding answers after the break as the Victory continued to pile on the shots, with Beard coming closest when her 47th minute hit was tipped onto the crossbar.

As the hour mark approached though the Victory pressure told yet again as the athletic Jenkins rose well to McCormick’s cross and turn in a well-placed headed finish to secure a brace of her own.

https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6135092467001

Woes worsen for the Jets with an own goal

The hosts were continuing to live dangerously as Longo was denied a hat-trick by a strong stop of Coelho in the 67th minute, but it was own goal that worsened their woes just minutes later.

It was built off a classy run on the byline from Haley Hanson as she nutmegged Nikki Flannery before her squaring ball was turned in to the goal by Jets defender Cassidy Davis in a passage of play that summed up the Jets’ afternoon.

https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6135094605001

Ayres ices the result at the close

The Victory refused to relent in their pursuit of further spoils and added a seventh in the 83rd minute through Ayres.

Well positioned at the near post from Grace Maher’s corner, Ayres turned in a composed headed finish to further the blow out and mark the first-time the Victory have posted seven goals on an opponent in the Westfield W-League.