Following a promising but relatively quiet first half in which each side had just one shot on target, the Mariners turned up the heat in the second stanza and Josh Nisbet broke the deadlock in the 75th minute.

The crafty forward collected a cross at the top of the penalty area and pivoted before striking with a left-foot kick that went flying past Jets keeper Ryan Scott, who got a touch to the ball but not enough to deflect it out.

Scott was arguably the Jets' best on ground up until that point, having earlier produced multiple saves.

Newcastle had done well to head into half-time with the scores level, but the game opened up after the break and they struggled to match the Mariners, who finished with 13 shots at goal compared to the Jets' five.

Placed 11th prior to the match, a win would have elevated Newcastle as high as eighth on the points table but they remain second-last and are now nine points outside the top six.

The Mariners had looked the better side early on and enjoyed more than 60 per cent of possession in the opening 20 minutes.

But they couldn't crack the Jets in the first half despite getting into attacking range on multiple occasions.

Newcastle played tight to hold the visitors at bay and took few risks with the ball.

Midway through the half the home side had a couple of half-chances but couldn't convert.

Scott made crucial back-to-back saves to somehow stop Max Balard from scoring in the 40th minute in what was the best scoring opportunity of the half.

After a silky cross into the penalty area from Storm Roux, the Mariners midfielder found the ball at his feet just outside the six-yard box and looked certain to score but couldn't bury it.

Scott was forced to make repeat saves when his first bounced off Balard and came straight back at him.

Jets skipper Brandon O'Neill got handed a questionable yellow-card eight minutes in the second half as the Jets came under the pump shortly after the break.

The match opened up with some expansive play and the Mariners looked to have broken the deadlock in the 59th minute when Jing Reec headed the ball into the net, but he was pinged for being offside.

Jets coach Rob Stanton made a triple-change midway through the half, bringing on Clayton Taylor, Trent Buhagiar and Kosta Grozos for Archie Goodwin, Callum Timmins and Daniel Wilmering.

The changes briefly sparked the Jets to life but it was the Mariners who found the back of the net with Nisbet's strike in the 75th minute.

There was some spice added to the contest when a bit of push and shove erupted a few minutes after the goal following an incident that resulted in yellow cards for the Mariners' Bradley Tapp and Jets defender Phillip Cancar.

The Jets did all they could in the closing stages to try and find an equaliser, but it wasn't to be.

They will now prepare for a long trip to Perth to face the Glory next Saturday in what shapes as a must-win match.