Western United fell to a 4-2 defeat against Newcastle Jets in the Liberty A-League Women after a frantic second half on Sunday afternoon.
The Jets held the lead going into half-time before Chloe Logarzo equalised from the penalty spot soon after the restart.
There were goals galore from then on as Emily van Egmond put Newcastle back in front, only for Stacey Papadopoulos to equalise with a belter on her birthday.
The Jets had the final say, though, with two more goals completing a whirlwind contest and wrapping up a win for the home side.
Team News
Kat Smith was delighted with what she saw in her first game in charge last week and opted to stick with exactly the same personnel for her second match.
The starting XI and the bench were entirely unchanged, with Kahli Johnson unable to return to the side due to a minor foot injury.
First Half
Western United set about getting at the Jets right from the opening whistle, pressing the hosts into a number of turnovers within the opening minutes.
United controlled the early possession but Newcastle showed their threat on the counter attack with a couple of swift breakaways, one which needed Hillary Beall to tip the ball over her crossbar.
Tyla Jay Vlajnic had an early sighter with a long-range volley that she put on target, but neither side really had a clear cut opportunity for the first quarter of an hour.
It was Newcastle’s ability on the break that brought about the opener, with a hint of fortune as a couple of Western United tackles just couldn’t stick in midfield.
That allowed Sarina Bolden to shovel the ball through to Lauren Allan who finished coolly into the bottom corner.
United struggled to build any sort of rhythm in possession with a sequence of misplaced places in the final third allowing Newcastle to find comfort in their defensive system and making it a rather scrappy affair in the midfield third.
Melissa Taranto had the visitors’ best chance to equalise before half-time when she stole a march on the Jets inside the box, but her effort rolled just wide and brushed the side netting to leave United trailing at the break.
Second Half
The Green and Black set about finding a prompt equaliser in the second half and did just that when Hannah Keane was brought down in the box by Newcastle goalkeeper Isobel Nino.
Logarzo tucked the ball under her arm, placed it on the spot and thumped it into the bottom right corner to get United back on level terms.
Smith would have been hoping that goal would settle some nerves and build momentum in the contest for her side, but instead it ignited a remarkable 20-minute spell which brought five goals in the game.
United gave Emily van Egmond far too much space in the box to finish eight minutes after Logarzo’s penalty but responded within 120 seconds.
Picking up the ball in a tight space on the edge of the area, Papadopoulos turned, shifted the ball onto her right foot and bent a stunning strike over the goalkeeper and into the top corner.
The chaos was just getting started though and United couldn’t lock down the defence as Bolden latched onto a long ball from van Egmond and finished superbly, hitting the ball first time on the bounce to lift it up and over Beall from outside the box.
There was to be no third equaliser for the Green and Black, instead the sixth goal of the match went the way of the hosts as Allan headed home at the back post to complete her brace.
Substitute Melina Ayres thought she added a fifth late on in her return from injury, but the offside flag spared United further insult.
Smith and her side will now look to regroup ahead of a return home on Friday, welcome Perth Glory to City Vista.
