What would a Melbourne Victory match be without a significant dose of controversy? It seems to lurk in the shadows wherever Victory take to the field, sticking its neck out at just the right time. On Saturday, that was roughly ten minutes from the final whistle, with Newcastle Jets leading Victory 2-1.

Pouncing on a rogue backpass, Archie Thompson streamed at Jets keeper Matthew Nash, only to be slide tackled, from behind, by Nikolai Topor-Stanley. Replays showed Topor-Stanley took none of the ball. To Thompson's - not to mention Victory coach Mehmet Durakovic's - surprise and disgust, no whistle was blown. Yet not only should the penalty have been awarded, but since Thompson was in a clear scoring position, Topor-Stanley should have been sent off.

The look of relief on Topor-Stanley's face suggested he himself knew just how lucky he was.

Arguably, the decision did not affect the outcome. Despite defending staunchly and spending a lot of time tucked up near the corner flag, the Jets ended up scoring a third goal after a poor Isaka Cernak touch allowed the Jets to swamp Victory's outnumbered defence. However, had the score been 2-2, Victory would have almost certainly had more defenders back.

The incident resulted in a bitter finish to what had otherwise been an enthralling match from the start. Both teams attacked freely as the ball bounced from one end to the other.

Carlos Hernandez had put Victory in front in the 19th minute with a gorgeous strike from just outside the box. A string of passes found its way to Hernandez, who turned and curled the ball into the top right corner. It wasn't as spectacular as last season's 40m bomb against the Jets, but it was equally memorable - as was the staged celebration that followed.

The lead lasted just seven minutes, though, as Ryan Griffiths converted a penalty after Marco Rojas dragged Labinot Haliti down in the box. It was a clear penalty, and the young New Zealander cut a distraught figure as the reality sunk in. He wasn't half the player he usually is for the remainder of the game.

Just moments into the second half, the Jets took the lead from a point-blank Haliti header on the end of a Jeremy Brockie cross. They never let it go.

The look on Durakovic's face at the final whistle suggested he is gearing up for another tough week. A win last match eased a little bit of the pressure on him, but pressure can return just as easy as it can lift. Such is the logjam in the middle of the A-league table that the result could bump Victory back out of the top six by the round's end.

Yet despite all the doom and gloom surrounding Victory's start to the season, it was only their second loss to date. They had been unbeaten for six games - a streak second only to the Roar's in length. And their performance tonight was solid. They attacked with purpose and their somewhat makeshift defence held strong in several sticky situations. They will only become tighter at the back once their defenders stop getting sent off (Rodrigo Vargas and Matthew Foschini were missing through suspension).

We say this every week, but a win in their next match, against Adelaide United, is crucial. Whatever the result, though, you can be sure there'll be more controversy to keep us entertained.