Gui Finkler has single-handedly sunk Newcastle Jets after scoring with a late free kick to settle a tense A-League tie.
For 84 minutes Victory huffed and puffed without reward until the Brazilian marvel ripped a free kick past Ben Kennedy.
The 1-0 result ended a frustrating night for Kevin Muscat’s side, who attacked relentlessly without cutting through all evening.
With the ball camped in Victory’s attacking area, Besart Berisha was brought down by James Virgili on the edge of the box.
Up stepped Finkler, who unleashed a trademark effort to find the net at the back post.
The meeting of the league’s highest scorers and leakiest defence failed to produce the easy Victory win that some predicted.
The struggling Jets offered very little by way of attacking threat, but defended well for the main.
Events of the opening two minutes set the tone for the evening.
From the kick-off, Victory surged forward, winning a dangerous free-kick inside 15 seconds.
A minute later, a studs-up lunge by Jets defender Adrian Madaschi on Berisha brought a yellow card.
Card-happy referee Ben Williams would issue seven yellows for the night.
Without club stalwarts Adrian Leijer and Archie Thompson in the starting line-up, Victory were operating at below their dynamic best.
Fahid Ben Khalfallah was the only player on the park that looked likely to threaten from open play.
The Tunisian fired wide of the post in the opening 10 minutes, with his mazy runs causing the Jets no end of headaches.
The forward was at his electric best after the restart, threatening to single handedly take Newcastle apart.
He first sent a scorching ball across for Kosta Barbarouses, whose close-range effort missed the target.
Shortly after, another ball from the left just eluded Besart Berisha’s reach with the goal at his mercy.
Taking matters into his own hands, he sent a rocket onto the bar on 56 minutes.
After Finkler’s goal, the Jets saved their best chance for injury-time when Scott Neville tested Nathan Coe with a long-range scorcher.
But Victory were not to be denied, climbing back into second on the A-League table ahead of a meeting with leaders Perth Glory on Friday.
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