PERTH, Australia (Interstat) — The Newcastle Jets opened their A-League season with a commanding 3-1 road victory over Perth Glory on Friday night, defying a statistical pregame projection in a match that turned on a second-half red card.

Playing before a home crowd at HBF Park, Perth Glory entered as a slight favorite according to Interstat’s game simulator, which projected a 2-1 win for the hosts. The Jets, however, entered with a 68% probability to win according to the same service’s ELO rating system, and it was the visitors who ultimately validated that higher confidence with a clinical performance.

The match began with Newcastle asserting early control. Substitute Lachlan Bayliss, who entered the game early, broke through in the 15th minute, putting the Jets ahead 1-0. Perth struggled to find a consistent response, and the Jets doubled their lead just before halftime. In the 47th minute, Lachlan Rose found the net, sending Newcastle into the break with a firm 2-0 advantage.

The dynamic of the game shifted decisively in the 67th minute when Perth Glory defender Brian Kaltak was shown a straight red card, forcing the home side to play a man down for the final 23 minutes. The numerical disadvantage proved insurmountable for Perth.

Newcastle capitalized on the extra space in the 81st minute. Another substitute, Xavier Bertoncello, sealed the result with Newcastle’s third goal, assisted by midfielder Sebastian Despotovski. Bertoncello’s strike rendered Perth’s late consolation goal irrelevant. In the first minute of second-half stoppage time, Stefan Colakovski scored for Perth Glory, denying the Jets a clean sheet but doing little to change the outcome.

The match was a physical contest, with three yellow cards issued. Newcastle’s Sebastian Despotovski was booked in the 32nd minute, followed by teammate Giovanni De Abreu in the 79th. Newcastle substitute Lucas Scicluna also received a yellow in the 84th minute. Key performances for the victors included the goal-scoring substitutes Bayliss and Bertoncello, while midfielders Despotovski and De Abreu, along with Scicluna, each recorded an assist.

With the win, Newcastle Jets begin their A-League campaign with a record of one win and no losses. Perth Glory starts the season with a record of no wins and one loss. The records across all competitions for both clubs are identical to their league starts following this season-opening fixture.