High-flying Newcastle have gone five points clear at the top of the A-League Men table after beating Perth Glory 3-1 for their seventh-straight win.
Lachlan Bayliss notched a goal and an assist in Friday's clash before the Jets took advantage of Brian Kaltak's second-half red card and Xavier Bertoncello scored a third to add to Newcastle's extraordinary resurgence under Mark Milligan.
Perth substitute Stefan Colakovski snagged a consolation goal in the 91st minute.
Newcastle (33 points) have a handy buffer on second-placed Auckland and are eight points clear of third-placed Sydney, the next best Australian team in the hunt for an Asian Champions League Elite berth.
The Jets are daring to dream of adding more silverware to their Australia Cup triumph.
"I've never put limitations on this group because i've seen that hunger from day one - that willingness to learn and to be better," Milligan told Paramount Plus.
"So I think I'd be doing them an injustice, mate, if I told them that winning tonight or winning the Cup in pre-season was enough.
"I want them to keep striving for more - personally and as a group."
The win was extra satisfying for Newcastle who remained on the road after beating Adelaide.
Perth enjoyed a pre-match boost with skipper Adam Taggart returning to the starting line-up - though Tom Lawrence (plantar fasciitis) missed.
But just 15 minutes into the match at HBF Park, Newcastle were in front.
From a short corner, Eli Adams worked the ball to Daniel Wilmering, who found Bayliss at the top of the box.
The attacker danced along the edge of the box and cut onto his right before unleashing a brilliant strike.
Two minutes into the second half, Scott Wootton brilliantly denied Adams, but the Glory defence let themselves down at the subsequent corner.
Ninth-placed Perth were again brought undone by a short corner - a routine that looked straight off the training ground.
Adams and Will Dobson combined before Bayliss teed up Lachie Rose for a tap-in.
"I feel like we gave them two goals from two set pieces and you can't do that to a team that's leading the competition," Perth coach Adam Griffiths told Paramount Plus.
"That was the disappointing part."
Kaltak received a straight red in the 68th minute for pulling Ben Gibson back by his shorts as the attacker was through on goal.
Newcastle sealed victory in the 81st minute when Kota Mizunuma crossed the ball for Xavier Bertoncello to score on the half-volley.
Milligan cut a frustrated figure after Charbel Shamoon teed up Colakovski to score in stoppage time, denying Newcastle a clean sheet.
The Jets return to action against Macarthur at home next Sunday while Perth travel to face Adelaide away next Friday.
