Newly-signed import Micheal Bridges registered his first goal for the Jets with a well-taken strike in the eight minute of play before Labinot Haliti made it 2-0 when he poked home from close range in the 14th minute.

Central Coast striker Adam Kwasnik made it 2-1 in the 19th minute with a great volley inside the area. The match then evolved into a typical derby encounter with plenty of feeling and yellow cards dished out to Dean Heffernan and Ben Kantarovski for strong tackles.

And despite the Mariners having the better chances in the second half the Newcastle defence, which was well marshaled by experienced central defender Angelo Costanzo, held on for the Jets to claim their third win of the season.

The game started at breakneck pace and it was Newcastle that went to the lead in just the eight minute of the game.

Tarek Elrich produced one of his trademark incisive runs down the right flank. He squared the ball to Haliti on the top of the penalty area who produced a deft backheel for Bridges to step around Boogaard and fire a left-footed shot past Danny Vukovic into the corner of the net.

Newcastle went two-up just six minutes later Fabio Vignaroli sent a dangerous free-kick from wide out on the right flank into the box where the ball found its way through a crowded penalty area to Haliti at the back post who poked the ball home from close range.

The Mariners made it 2-1 in the 19th minute when Nicky Tarvis sent a high cross into the penalty area from wide on the right wing. Kwasnik was able to get a foot infront of Elrich on the six-yard box to volley home a wonderful goal.

Hutchinson went close with a free kick from the corner of the box just after the half hour mark while down the other end Thompson shot narrowly wide and Fabio Vignaroli forced Vukovic into a fingertip save with a long-range effort to leave the Newcastle clutching a 2-1 lead at the break.

The Mariners came out with some fire early in the second half. Travis saw his 25-yard free-kick saved by Ben Kennedy while Michael McClinchey forced a good smothering save the Jets custodian with a low strike.

McClinchey forced Kennedy to push the ball over the crossbar when he launched an audacious lob shot from the half-way line. The Scottish-born Kiwi international was causing a host of problems for the Jets defence in the midfield and he almost set up Matt Simon for a strike on goal only to see Jets defender Nikolai Topor-Stanley, who had an excellent game in defence stamp out the threat.

Kennedy was forced to make two more saves from long-range efforts from the Mariners but the Jets showed enough composure to maintain the lead and register their first win since six matches.

Newcastle Jets 2 (Bridges 8, Haliti 14)
Central Coast Mariners 1 (Kwasnik 19)
Crowd 6, 198 at EnergyAustralia Stadium