Newcastle Jets have boosted their A-League Men finals push with a thumping 6-1 win over Perth Glory at McDonald Jones Stadium.
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At their box office best, a Daniel Penha brace, hat-trick from Beka Mikeltadze, and strike from Valentino Yuel lifted the rampant Jets within five points of the top six.
The three goals took Mikeltadze to 12 for the campaign, just two back of Jamie Maclaren for the ALM lead despite playing four games fewer.
"He's one of the best strikers in the league," Jets coach Arthur Papas said of his leading man.
"There's a lot of growth remaining in him. He's 24-years-old and it's his first time playing outside of Europe.
"Today it was really good to see him get rewards."
His side's significant injury woes continuing, Glory coach Ruben Zadkovich was forced once again to field a young, heavily undermanned side in the Hunter, giving an ALM debut to Jayden Gorman.
"That's our third game in six days," Zadkovich said.
"Two away from home. Ten or eleven (academy) players in the squad. It's a product of circumstance. It's disappointing. It hurts a lot. But there will be positives to take."
After shrugging off a heavy challenge from Gorman minutes earlier, Penha opened the scoring in the 21st minute when he met a cutback from Yuel with a first-time effort into the bottom corner of Glory's goal.
Mikeltadze danced into the box and netted in the 31st and then made it 3-0 after Dane Ingham found him with a well-placed pass that allowed him to dink in his second in the 37th.
Five minutes into the second half it was four when Penha latched onto the rebound of Angus Thurgate's saved shot.
Mikeltadze then stepped up to convert a penalty won by Ingham in the 78th and Yuel added a cherry on the sundae in the 81st.
Despite Ciaran Bramwell's 69th minute consolation, Perth are winless in 12 games and firmly rooted at the bottom of the ALM table.
They will attempt to regroup against Wellington on Wednesday.
"The position we are on the ladder makes it difficult to take anything out of this season," said Zadkovich.
"It's about looking at the squad we have and analysing individuals and performances and building for the future."
The Jets will host Melbourne Victory next Saturday but will have Matt Jurman and Thurgate absent after the pair earned suspensions for yellow card accumulation.
Australian Associated Press
