Goals to Yukari Kinga, Steph Catley and new signing Hailie Mace ensured the reigning champions winning run over Craig Deans’ side continued; City has never dropped points to the Jets.

So complete is City domination over Newcastle that in their last four meetings, including this match, City has scored 15 goals to the Jets’ three.

Melbourne City was in control of the match early but in an all too familiar scene, the final piece of the puzzle was missing.

Rhali Dobson came closest in the opening 20 minutes after receiving the ball from Jasmyne Spencer. She created space for herself and unleashed a shot which hit the netting.   

Two minutes later Elise Kellond-Knight forced Britt Eckerstrom into a save off a free kick.

It had all the makings of another frustrating night for City before Cassidy Davis fouled Tameka Butt in the box and conceded a penalty.

Kinga stepped up to the spot and slotted home a strong penalty; Eckerstrom guessed the right way but could do nothing to stop it.

The goal seemed to give City new impetus with Rebekah Stott getting involved forward and hitting the crossbar.

While the Jets were set up with a back five consisting over three central defenders and the two wing backs, their wide players never really got the opportunity to push forward.

Instead, it was City’s full backs – Theresa Nielsen and, in particular, Steph Catley – who pushed forward consistently and to great effect as the match wore on.

City’s dominance in possession and willingness to push forward quickly and with purpose, as opposed to past games where their build-up has been slow and involved more than a few passes between the back five in and around their defensive 18-yard box, forced the Jets to sit back and absorb pressure.

When Newcastle did recover possession, their counters were swift but never really executed properly.

City’s second goal came from a corner in the 38th minute. Kellond-Knight’s ball was whipped into the back post where an unmarked Catley was able to head back across the goal and into the net for her first W-League goal since the 2016-17 season.

The second half saw a tactical change from the Jets with Larissa Crummer being moved back into the number nine role and the defence operating as a back four.

Much has been made of the Crummer as a defender experiment and perhaps one of the minor consequences of the current Matildas coaching situation will be a permanent end to that.

The change almost immediately paid dividends with Crummer going on a sensational run through the centre of the pitch before finding Arin Wright with a neat pass. Wright beat Lydia Williams but the goal was ruled out for offside.

While one striker was returning to her natural position, City was introducing their newest signing, UCLA striker Hailie Mace.

The Melbourne side scored goal number three just before the hour mark. Helen Caceres found Nielsen at the top of the box. The Dane then played in Kinga who finished coolly for her second of the game and third of the season.

City’s fourth and final goal came in the 69th minute and was a moment which showed what their season could have been like.

Stott, Spencer and Butt combined to quickly move the ball from defence to attack. Butt then went on a run down the right hand flank and squared the ball across the box to Mace who finished simply.

It's the kind of scenario that City has experienced time and time again but often with a less than desirable finish.

There have been multiple times where ball has come in from the flanks or a run has been made down the wings and there is no one central to finish off or even aim at in the box.

Injuries to Kyah Simon and Jodie Taylor, who unfortunately didn’t get to play a single minute of her guest contract, did not help with this.

But now, two rounds out from the end of the season, City not only have someone occupying that space, but an imposing figure in the form of Mace.

Whether her inclusion is a case of too little, too late remains to be seen.

City have the bye next week and will need other teams to do them a favour if they want to defend their title and play in a fourth consecutive finals series. The Jets meanwhile travel to Adelaide next round.

There have been multiple times where ball has come in from the flanks or a run has been made down the wings and there is no one central to finish off or even aim at in the box.

Injuries to Kyah Simon and Jodie Taylor, who unfortunately didn’t get to play a single minute of her guest contract, did not help with this.

But now, two rounds out from the end of the season, City not only have someone occupying that space, but an imposing figure in the form of Mace.

Whether her inclusion is a case of too little, too late remains to be seen.

City have the bye next week and will need other teams to do them a favour if they want to defend their title and play in a fourth consecutive finals series. The Jets meanwhile travel to Adelaide next round.