The Newcastle Jets have gone down 2-1 to Brisbane Roar in an action-packed season-opening clash at Perry Park in A-League Women on Saturday.
Both sides had goals disallowed in an evenly contested encounter in which momentum constantly shifted.
The visitors trailed 2-0 at the break after Brisbane's Larissa Crummer and Sharn Freier both scored in a devastating eight-minute period for Newcastle.
The Roar found the back of the net off a corner between Crummer's 31st-minute back-post tap-in and Freier's clinical finish at the front post in the 39th but the goal was disallowed.
The Jets got themselves back into the game when Murphy Agnew scored from the penalty spot in the 76th.
The spot kick was awarded when Roar goalkeeper Hensley Hancuff brought down Jets substitute Adriana Konjarski without the ball just inside the 18-yard box.
Konjarski had only been on the field for four minutes but sparked life into the match.
She was on the attack and had put the ball around Hancuff before being brought down as she attempted to hurdle the sliding goalkeeper and regather for a shot on goal.
It was Konjarski's first national league outing since 2019 but her return was short-lived.
The NPLW Northern NSW player of the year and leading scorer was stretchered from the field in the 84th minute after colliding with Hancuff as they both vied for the ball after a Jets corner. The ball ended up in the net but was also disallowed.
Konjarski looked to get a touch on Tara Andrews' header after Agnew had taken the corner but was deemed to be offside.
There were seven fresh faces in the Jets starting line-up from their last campaign.
The only returning players named in the first XI were midfielders Cassidy Davis and Lucy Johnson plus forwards Ash Brodigan and Lauren Allan.
Newcastle were out of the blocks slowly but had worked their way into the match by the 15-minute mark.
They came close to breaking the game open in the 19th minute when Agnew, a set-piece specialist and one of four Americans signed by the Jets this campaign, had her on-target free kick from in front tipped over the bar by Hancuff.
Two minutes later Chicago Red Stars forward Sarah Griffith, who proved a handful throughout the match, got in behind the Roar defence only to have have a shot from in front touched wide of the posts by Hancuff.
Griffith then whipped a ball into the goalmouth from wide on the left in the 23rd minute. It was fumbled into the net by Hancuff but the goal did not count as she was fouled by Brodigan in the process.
Both Brisbane goals came after Newcastle's defence was exposed on transition.
Shea Connors wrong-footed Jets centre-back Teigen Allen just outside the 18-yard box, then slipped the ball past approaching defender Emily Garnier and found Mariel Hecher for a selfless touch on to Crummer, who finished into an open net with her left foot.
Connors proved the architect again for Roar's second goal, beating Jets left-back Cannon Clough at the byline then cutting the ball into the goalmouth for Freier to finish first time.
The Jets had 13 shots to Brisbane's 12 with nine on target but lacked conviction with some attempts.
They also proved wasteful at times in possession after working hard to win the ball.
Attacking player Sophie Stapleford and left-back Leia Puxty, both home-grown talents, made their A-League Women's debuts when they came off the bench late in the game.
Newcastle head to Tamworth next Saturday to play Western Sydney before hosting Perth Glory in round three at No.2 Sportsground.
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