BILLED AS… Reigning champions Melbourne Victory's chance to post their first win of the season.

IN REALITY… They never came close to winning - but their fightback to level the scoreline was incredible. The Jets were all over them in the first half and still looked far better than a draw in the second stanza...yet Victory snatched off an amazing comeback.

THE GOOD… Leandro Love's run up the left and his square ball into the six yard box for Archie Thompson to head home was a delight, but Stuart Musialik's screamer with almost no backlift was an absolute scorcher of a goal.

THE BAD… Apart from when they scored, most of Victory's attempts on goal were woeful. And especially in the first half, their passing was even worse. More speed, less haste, lads.

THE UGLY… Victory's Steve Pantelidis obviously didn't read the memo - it was Fair Play Day, mate. He bulldozed the legs away from the very impressive Joel Griffiths - then had the cheek to slap Andrew Durrante when the Jets players complained about the car crash tackle.

THEY SAID WHAT… "We’d been looking for a goal all game but unfortunately it wasn’t happening for us but when I came on, finally it happened," Adrian 'Ego' Caceres must have been busy taking his tracksuit off or something and missed Archie's goal then...

THE FALLOUT… The draw took a little bit of pressure off coach Ernie Merrick but his side continues to look for that first win of the season - but with Sydney now finally posting three points, the focus will be firmly on Melbourne now. Amazingly though, even without a win, Victory are still in third place on the ladder - but four points off second placed Jets.

Newcastle Jets
Ante Covic (gk), Adam Griffiths, Jade North, Stuart Musialik, Andrew Durante (Paul Kohler 73’), Matt Thompson, Joel Griffiths, Denni (Tarek Elrich 72’), Adam D’Apuzzo, Troy Hearfield (Mario Jardel 80’), Mark Bridge.

Bookings Troy Hearfield 34’.

Goalscorers Griffiths 4’, Musialik 22’

Melbourne Victory
Michael Theoklitos (gk), Kevin Muscat (c), Daniel Piorkowski, Steve Pantelidis (Adrian Caceres 78’), Matthew Kemp (Sebastian Ryall 72’), Grant Brebner, Archie Thompson, Joseph Keenan (Carlos Hernandez 46’), Rodrigo Vargas, Leandro Love, Leigh Broxham.

Bookings None

Goalscorers Thompson 65’, Caceres 83’

MATCHRATING: 3/5