Popovic bemoans penalty in Victory loss

Melbourne Victory coach Tony Popovic has lamented the penalty that allowed Newcastle Jets to secure a come-from-behind 2-1 win over his undermanned A-League Men side.

Locked at one goal apiece after Newcastle's Valentino Yuel cancelled out Jake Brimmer's opener in the 57th, a collision between Brendan Hamill and the Jets' Olivier Boumal prompted referee Daniel Elder to award a spot-kick to the visitors 13 minutes later.

Beka Mikeltadze duly stepped up to give his side a lead they would not relinquish despite a late Victory push.

Popovic, who thought his side's first half was the best of their campaign, was unable to hide his frustration with the decision.

"Just no. It clearly wasn't a penalty," he said.

"If we're going to start giving penalties for challenges like that then we've really got some issues. That's not a penalty. In my view, that's not a penalty."

His side having suffered back-to-back defeats after winning the FFA Cup last week and now winless in their last four league fixtures, Popovic also took issue with what he perceived as inconsistency in the officiating in Saturday night's game.

Victory captain Josh Brillante saw red in the 48th minute after committing a second bookable offence on Angus Thurgate.

"There was a challenge in the first half from Mikeltadze that (should have been) a second yellow," he said. "But he (already) had a yellow so it didn't get a yellow card.

"Josh went (in), it was a challenge, (and) the yellow card came out quickly. If we're going to give yellow cards like that, let's do it all the time. Let's do it throughout the whole game."

Victory's defeat, combined with Adelaide's 1-1 draw with Wellington, sees them fall to fourth on the ALM table, just a point clear of the seventh-placed