The Newcastle Jets will host premiers Melbourne City in Maitland next Sunday in the first match of a two-legged A-League Women's semi-final after beating Western United 4-2 in an extra-time thriller at Tarneit on Saturday night.
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While the future of their club remained uncertain, the Jets showed they were worth saving with a gutsy and determined performance that spanned three hours from kick-off until the full-time whistle.
"The one thing that you can see from this group of girls is that they all believe in each other," Jets coach Ryan Campbell told the Newcastle Herald post-match.
"For people who are looking at the club and considering if they're going to buy the club, I'm sure that it's definitely helping that decision with having such a strong team that's doing so well in the competition."
In addition to the 30 minutes of extra time, which was required after United twice came from behind to have the score locked at 2-2 by the end of regulation time, the game was stopped for 20 minutes in the second half due to a blackout.
The Jets withstood a mountain of pressure after play resumed but proved to be the fitter, faster and more clinical side in extra time to seal the club's first-ever finals win in 16 seasons of A-League Women.
Newcastle had twice made finals before - in 2008-09 then 2017-18 - without progressing through their first showdown.
"There was a 20-minute period where we lost our way a little bit after the lights but then once it went into extra-time I was always confident we were going to win," Campbell said.
"We were the stronger team physically and our style of play suits that much more than theirs does."
The game could have been the Jets last if they lost with Australian Professional Leagues chairman Stephen Conroy indicating in March that the A-Leagues foundation club had until the end of the season to finalise a new owner or risked folding.
The players blocked out the off-field noise to squeak into sixth place by goal difference with a women's club-record three consecutive wins.
The victory over Western United then equalled the club's men's record of four wins in a row in 2007-08, when they claimed the A-League championship.
Another win next weekend against the premiers, who Newcastle have never beaten in 15 exchanges, will break new ground for the club.
The Jets took a 1-0 lead through their leading scorer Sarina Bolden in the 11th minute on Saturday night after the Philippines international danced around a defender and fired off a shot from the top of the 18-yard box.
It was cancelled out in the 23rd minute by Alana Cerne, who volleyed in at the back post after a corner kick.
Catherine Zimmerman had the ball in the back of the net for United in the 40th minute, only for it to be disallowed with the American deemed to have pulled on defender Josie Wilson's shirt on her run to goal.
Bolden restored the one-goal advantage in first-half stoppage time from the penalty spot, scoring her 14th goal of the campaign, after United defender Jaclyn Sawicki had handballed in the area.
United were on the attack when the stadium fell into darkness in the 56th minute then Zimmerman levelled the score with a spot kick in the 68th minute after she had been knocked over by Libby Copus-Brown in the box.
Campbell provided an attacking injection with a triple substitution of Ayres, Hoban and Young Matildas striker Lara Gooch at the 70-minute mark.
In a surprise move, striker Milan Hammond had replaced Gooch for her first start of the season.
But the move paid dividends with Gooch, Ayres and Hoban providing the attacking spark the Jets needed when the game was sent into an additional half hour.
It took 11 minutes of extra time for Ayres to provide the breakthrough on her 25th birthday then Hoban doubled the advantage with seven minutes remaining.
City have elected to host the second leg on April 27 with the first leg set to play out at Maitland Sportsground six days earlier.
The kick-off time for the Maitland showdown is yet to be confirmed.
The Jets have played the majority of their home games at No.2 Sportsground this year but handed the venue back to local rugby union sides at the conclusion of the regular season.
They have twice played in Maitland this campaign.
