There was plenty coach Ash Wilson liked about Newcastle's backs-to-the-wall win over top-four side Adelaide on Saturday.
It was not a perfect performance, but it could very well prove a turning point.
The Jets produced the kind of grit, hunger and composure under pressure required to net a crucial A-League Women's win in front of a delighted coach and boisterous home crowd at No.2 Sportsground.
"We know the type of football we can play, it's about putting in a 90-minute performance and that was what I asked the girls," Wilson said.
"Obviously, I'm happy to score two goals in the circumstances where we had a number of players out, but it was also the fact that we were solid in defence and we showed desperation when we needed to and kept a clean sheet. I thought that was outstanding."
The test now is whether the Jets can back up the exciting 2-0 win over Adelaide with three points against another top-four side when they host equal leaders Sydney at No.2 Sportsground this Saturday.
If they can knock off the Sky Blues - a feat Newcastle have managed just five times in 26 previous A-League encounters and only twice on home turf - it will have them back in the mix for a top-four spot as they approach their season midpoint.
"We worked a lot through the week on us being the team that we can be, and that's what I was really proud of," Wilson said.
"We went out and we focused a lot on what we were doing. They stayed present. The big message was we can't worry about past results. We can't control that.
"We can't control who's not on the pitch this game so everyone has to go out and focus on the present and take the game for what it was, and they did that really well."
Asked whether the performance made a statement to the rest of the league, Wilson didn't think so.
"To be honest, I think when any team plays us they know that it's going to be a hard-fought game and for us to get these points is more a culmination of things that we've been doing," Wilson said.
"There have been games where we've been close and probably should've got points.
"I don't think any team takes us lightly ... I feel like the result will continue to make teams think about our work ethic and what we're capable of if we put things together."
The win moved Newcastle into seventh position on seven points, five adrift of the top four.
Sydney (15 points) are caught in a three-way tussle for top spot with Melbourne City and unbeaten newcomers Western United, who downed Perth 3-2 in Perth on Sunday night.
The win over the Reds (12 points) came without injured American imports Murphy Agnew (hip, back) and Sarah Griffith (back).
Both have been outstanding in six appearances for the Jets but whether they will be back to take on the Sky Blues is not yet known. The game on Saturday is at 3pm.
Meanwhile, Wellington and Western Sydney took their first point of the season when they drew 1-1 at Sky Stadium on Monday.
ALW points table: City 15, Sydney 15, Western United 15, Victory 12, Adelaide 12, Brisbane 10, Jets 7, Canberra 5, Perth 5, Wanderers 1, Phoenix 1.
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