Coach Mark Milligan is confident the Newcastle Jets will respond accordingly after their first loss in 2026 at the weekend.

Auckland FC stunned the A-League Men’s (ALM) leaders 2-1 at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday, breaking a 10-match unbeaten streak in the process.

The rare defeat saw the Novocastrians’ grip on the Premiers Plate slip slightly, with Newcastle now enjoying just a one point buffer over the Black Knights following the top of the tale clash.

And, it sets up an intriguing run home to the play-offs.

“I thought, for large parts, our football was good,” Milligan said.

“However, I don’t think we created enough to go and get something out of this match.

“But, we’ll take a lot from it.

“Auckland came here and did the physical side of the game well.

“Once we accepted it and really knuckled down, I believe we matched them.

“They’re good at getting balls into the box and looking to hit us in transition.

“So, we probably struggled a little bit to control that early on.

“Then, in that final third, we created some clear-cut opportunities.

“However, they did well defensively… and made it difficult for us.

“We needed to create some more width, maybe some more forward runs into the blue zone.

“And, although we controlled the ball, we never really threatened the goal.

“I’m happy with the boys’ effort, though, they worked hard.

“It was just that final ball, that final decision, which wasn’t there for us.

“That’s normal, it happens in games.

“You’ve got to give credit to Auckland because they made it extremely difficult for us.

“If we look at the goals we conceded as well, that’s disappointing from our perspective.”

With five fixtures remaining, Milligan admitted the weekend’s “experience” would serve Newcastle strongly ahead of the upcoming semis.

“We’ll take our lessons from it,” he said.

“But, I was extremely proud of the guys because it wasn’t just a tough match, it was a big occasion.

“It’s probably the first time a lot of the players have been in that situation.

“They know now what to expect moving forward.

“So, it’s a massive learning curve.

“However, the way they went about their business and stuck to what we do, a lot of good things came out of the encounter.

“If you take away the result, there were plenty of positives and, again, areas where we can get better.

“We’ll now look forward to another fantastic challenge on Sunday.”

That test comes in the shape of third-placed Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium on 22 March from 3pm.

“I have no doubt the boys will bounce back,” Milligan said.

“We’d prefer not to be in these situations.

“But, we know that when we stick to what we do and who we are, we’ll give ourselves an opportunity to firstly be in the game and, secondly, to win it.

“I’ll need to have a look at my processes during the week as well because there were areas we fell short.

“However, I have no worries moving forward in terms of what we’re going to provide and what team we are going to be when we show up in Sydney.”

The Jets will sweat on the fitness of star Clayton Taylor after he was assisted from the paddock in the first half.

For more sports stories:

• Knights duo Ponga, Brown set for extended time on sidelines
• Jets’ ‘breathing room’ vanishes after ALM loss to Auckland
• Hoban double keeps Jets in the ALW finals hunt

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