It was raining goals in the W-League at AAMI Park when defensive blunders by both teams and a couple of terrific Jess Fishlock goals gave Melbourne City a 5-2 win over the Newcastle Jets.
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City took a deserved early lead in the fifth minute when American winger Ashley Hatch got clear on the right and drove over a cross which Newcastle defender Nikola Orgill failed to control, allowing the ball to bounce through to City's star forward Kyah Simon.
The Matilda's striker needed little invitation to lash home past Jets goalkeeper Britt Eckerstrom.
Lydia Williams, City's goalkeeper, is the established number one for the Matildas but it is doubtful whether she has had as embarrassing a moment in her career as that which led to the Jets equaliser.
She carried the ball out to the edge of the penalty area looking to play out from the back but slipped on a patch of ground, leaving the Jets American striker Katie Stengel clear to simply roll the ball into an unguarded net.
That was one shock to the City system. Shortly afterwards the champions received another jolt, and once again it was from a defensive blunder, once again by a Matildas star, this time Alanna Kennedy.
The centre back failed to control the ball, leaving Stengel clear to thump a firm strike beyond Williams to put the Jets into a 2-1 lead.
Hatch hit the bar as City pressed forward, and the hosts got back on level terms just before the interval when Steph Catley drove down the left and crossed only for another Matildas player, Newcastle's Emily Van Egmond, to mis-control the ball, giving Larissa Crummer the chance to slide the ball past Eckerstrom.
City got their noses back in front in the 54th minute with a wonderful finish from Fishlock.
Simon released Catley down the left and the Matildas wide player slung over a cross which Fishlock, arriving late, twisted acrobatically to half volley giving Eckerstrom no chance.
The Jets were forced into a major reshuffle midway through the second period when centre back Natasha Prior was forced to leave the pitch after being hit flush in the face by a Hatch volley.
City made sure of the points with some 20 minutes to go when another fierce Hatch shot struck the bar and Crummer reacted fastest to strike home the rebound to make it 4-2.
Fishlock rubbed further salt in the wounds in the 76th minute when she smashed home a long range shot to make it 5-2.
