Newcastle Jets boss Arthur Papas says he was disappointed with a 2-1 defeat against Adelaide United but not with the performance level from his players.
The Jets are priced at 5/2 to finish in the top six of the A-League but dropped all three points as Adelaide snatched a late win at Coopers Stadium on Sunday.
Early setback
The Jets got off to the worse possible start when George Blackwood put the home side in front after just three minutes.
However Newcastle responded in fine fashion and were arguably the better side for the remainder of the game. Beka Mikeltadze forced two good saves from Reds goalkeeper Joe Gauci as the Jets pile on the pressure.
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They finally got back on level terms on 65 minutes when Mikeltadze's attempt on goal was deflected into the path of Angus Thurgate who put the ball into an empty net from close range.
The Jets went in search of a winner but were stung in the 88th minute when Craig Goodwin's cross was steered home by substitute Mohamed Toure to earn the Reds the win.
Papas takes positives
The loss was hard for Papas to take but he could not fault the effort of his side.
"In the end it's a tough loss and it's disappointing," he told reporters after the game. "But overall, I still can't be completely disappointed from what I saw from a performance level to be honest.
"The second half was really positive. We should score, at least two or three goals to be honest, and if you don't score it you leave yourself open."
