The Newcastle Jets pulled off one of the A-League season’s most dramatic upsets, beating leaders Auckland FC 3–1 at Mt Smart despite playing most of the match with ten men and finishing with nine.
The Jets raced to a two-goal lead inside 16 minutes through Lachlan Rose and Will Dobson before Auckland hit back via a Jesse Randall free kick, then survived relentless pressure after Max Cooper’s first-half red card. Auckland dominated possession and chances but couldn’t break Newcastle’s desperate defence, and were finally caught on the counter in stoppage time when Rose scored into an empty net.
Despite the loss, Auckland remain top of the table, two points clear after ten matches.
