Newcastle Jets beat Melbourne Victory to hold second place

They weren't at their exhilarating best, but Newcastle still managed to compound Melbourne Victory's A-League pain, prevailing 2-0 to hold second place on the ladder.

Nigel Boogaard scored for the first time in more than 15 months before new recruit Riley McGree came off the bench to tap home his maiden club goal at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday. It lifts Ernie Merrick's side seven points ahead of third-placed Melbourne City -- who play on Sunday -- and nine behind leaders Sydney FC.

The Jets are on the verge of securing a finals berth for the first time since 2010.

"It was a very tight affair because there wasn't much given away in midfield and anyone on the ball was closed down very quickly," Merrick said. "The longer the game went on, especially when we went up 2-0, they were going to throw numbers forward. So we had to weather that storm."

Victory now have only one win from their last 12 trips to the Hunter.

While the visitors adjusted well to life without Mark Milligan, Besart Berisha missed a host of chances that could have changed the game. The billed match of the round was not the most enthralling football either side could have offered up for watching new Socceroos coach Bert van Marwijk, in a game rife with turnovers and mishits.

Roy O'Donovan was a guilty party on his long-awaited return from a groin injury, firing a header wide from point-blank range and then lazily drawing a strike across the face of goal.

Socceroos hopeful Dimi Petratos was lively and provided the free-kick for Boogaard's 31st-minute opener, a terrific cross that skimmed the skipper's head and diverted into the far corner.

"We created a number of chances, possibly twice as many strikes on goal as them," Victory coach Kevin Muscat said. "We were starting to impose ourselves on the game away from home, and then to concede off that set piece -- them moments are huge."

The Jets perhaps had a slight upper hand but Victory were not short on chances, and Jack Duncan made two top-class reflex saves to deny Kosta Barbarouses and Berisha.

After the break Andrew Nabbout was shown a yellow card for a bad head clash with Lawrence Thomas. The incident left Nabbout in pain, and Victory's goalkeeper was stretchered off to be replaced by Matt Acton.

Duncan came to the fore again to stop a barrelling Barbarouses strike while Berisha, who has not scored at this venue since 2014, fluffed a header, was denied in a scramble and dragged a late shot wide.

It was all to Victory's detriment when Riley McGree replaced O'Donovan in the 65th minute. The former Adelaide midfielder had been on the pitch five minutes when Jason Hoffman played in Nabbout and the winger-cum-striker crossed for McGree to tap in at the far post.