The finals chances of the Newcastle Jets hinge on their next treble of outings, beginning with a home clash against Adelaide United.
The finals chances of the Newcastle Jets hinge on their next treble of outings, beginning with a home clash against Adelaide United.
A 2-0 loss at Perth Glory on Saturday ended a four-match unbeaten run for Gary van Egmond's men, who carried a load of momentum into the clash.
The 2007/08 Hyundai A-League champions are two points adrift of sixth-placed Sydney FC and the Melbourne Heart, but have an opportunity to entrench themselves in the finals places in the next three weeks.
After hosting Adelaide United, the Jets visit Melbourne Victory and then welcome bottom side Gold Coast United to Ausgrid Stadium.
With attacking threats Jeremy Brockie (nine goals) and Ryan Griffiths (eight) dangers to every side, and Francis Jeffers and Michael Bridges beginning to find their feet, the Jets have enough firepower to book a finals place.
The midfield has been a worry despite the form of Ruben Zadkovich, while Tarek Elrich has been solid down the right flank.
If Nikolai Topor-Stanley and Tiago can continue building their partnership in the centre of defence, van Egmond has a strong line-up to work with.
They play three of their remaining five matches at home, a strong advantage given their record at Ausgrid Stadium this campaign.
Of the 10 matches they have played there, the Jets have taken 19 of a possible 30 points.
With Sydney taking on the Wellington Phoenix and Heart hosting league leaders the Central Coast Mariners, the Jets have a huge chance to enter the top six by weekend's end.
Their clash, however, is against an Adelaide side desperately needing a win to keep their season alive.
Brockie has been in stellar goalscoring form, particularly at home, while Griffiths' performances have seen him attract interest from rival clubs.
But van Egmond and his team will be aware of the opportunity they have on Friday night, and will be desperate to collect three points at home as the battle for finals places heats up.