Strong in the first half, a lead at the break, but it wasn’t enough for the Jets Youth to secure all three points on Saturday afternoon.
Jack Simmons and Joey Champness had steered home precise finishes to put the visiting Newcastle ahead at the break.
But a second-half resurgence from Sydney saw them score halfway through and at the backend of the second 45 to secure victory.
It’s a heartbreaking result for the Jets, and one which means they’re now out of the race for top spot in Conference B.
It was a measured start in very warm conditions, with neither side looking to overexert themselves early on.
Despite this, there was an early goal. Sydney had temporarily camped themselves inside Jets territory, and Harrison Van Der Saag decided to let a shot off from well outside the area.
It was low and rifled toward goal, looking to be going wide but it took a deflection off the post and found its way in to give the home side the lead.
The goal sparked Newcastle into life, and the boys in red, white, and blue began to stream forward in numbers in search of a leveller.
Jack Simmons had two attempts, one from outside the area which was comfortably contained and another from inside which was cleared off the line.
On the third attempt though, he wasn’t to be denied. Ryan Goodhew floated in a wonderful ball from the left-hand side, which found Simmons who buried it to draw the Jets level.
37’ | GOAAAL NEWCASTLE
Joey Champness! In his first game back from injury, the striker finds the back of the net with a goal from outside the area following a well-worked corner routine (1-2) #SYDvNEW #YLeague #MadeOfNewcastle
— NEWCASTLE JETS FC ✈️ (@NewcastleJetsFC) January 12, 2019
A pair of drinks breaks helped to break up the first half nicely, and with a little under ten minutes to go in the opening stanza the Jets went ahead.
It was from a corner which had been nicely worked, with Joey Champness found on the edge of the area. He beat one, then let off a stinging left-foot strike which beat the keeper.
With the goalscorers, Simmons and Champness, coming off at the break, Joey O’Connor and Kent Harrison came on in their place.
Newcastle almost had a third in the 57th minute after they managed to get a number of shots off inside the penalty area, but nothing could make its way through a sea of Sky Blue.
In the 64th minute, Sydney would draw level and pull themselves right back into the match after a powerful header at the back post from Hamish Lamberton beat Noah James in the Jets goal.
Kent Harrison and Maki Petratos combined with a little over fifteen minutes ago and burst forward on the break, but the former wasn’t able to get his shot past the onrushing Sydney keeper.
Maki managed to get a shot off shortly after but as the clock ticked over to 90 minutes, Sydney struck through Harrison Van Der Saag.
He doubled his tally for the day in steering one past Noah James, and put Sydney in an unassailable position. The Jets couldn’t grab an equaliser despite seven minutes of injury time.
