Newcastle Jets stun Brisbane Roar with comeback in A-League cracker

A late strike from Morten Nordstrand has sealed the Newcastle Jets a 3-2 upset A-League victory over Brisbane Roar.

In an action-packed contest at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday in which the lead changed hands three times, it appeared a draw was looming after an 82nd-minute penalty from striker Jamie Maclaren pulled Brisbane level.

But Danish import Nordstrand popped up just two minutes later to drive a dagger through the Roar's hearts, standing his ground and firing from close range after an aerial contest with goalkeeper Michael Theo, who was yellow-carded for protesting the incident afterwards.

It was no less than what the Jets deserved after delivering one of the biggest shocks of the A-League season so far.

It is the Roar's first defeat in nearly 12 months at home, and came after Newcastle also smashed them 4-0 back in round two at McDonald Jones Stadium.

Tommy Oar's first goal for Brisbane in more than seven years opened the scores after just 15 minutes, and they looked comfortable 1-0 up.

The Jets struck back right on the stroke of half-time, as Andrew Hoole dribbled his way through a flat-footed Roar defence and found the top corner with a rocket from 20 metres, stunning the crowd of 14,470.

Then in the 72nd minute, Newcastle's other winger Andrew Nabbout made it 2-1, heading in a cross from fullback Jason Hoffman that caught a slight deflection off Jade North's head along the way.

Brisbane thought they'd done enough to salvage at least a point when Maclaren scored his seventh goal of the season from the spot, after Nigel Boogaard brought down Jack Hingert in the penalty box with a clumsy challenge.