More unnecessary goals were leaked, but Newcastle Jets coach Mark Jones will take the point against the Perth Glory if it hauls his A-League side closer to finals football.
Sunday's 2-2 draw did no huge favours for either the fifth-placed Glory and sixth-placed Jets, but it at least firmed up their positions to stay in striking distance of fourth-placed Brisbane.
For the Jets, who sit two points ahead of chasing Wellington Phoenix, the end-to-end affair was another mixture of promising attack and at-times sloppy defence.
By half-time at McDonald Jones Stadium the hosts had already come back from a goal down to lead 2-1, but allowed Perth to equalise after the break and were somewhat fortunate not to concede a late winner.
Much like the Glory, Newcastle's penchant for scoring goals this campaign has been outweighed by their capacity to let them in.
Jones said the issue needed to be addressed, but on the balance of play was content with the outcome, as he steers his finals-starved outfit towards the Holy Grail of playing past round 27.
"It shows we can compete with anyone," Jones said.
"Perth were touted as top four with potential to win the league.
"We more than competed, and it wasn't our greatest game," Jones said.
"If we get things right we can beat anyone on our day, we've just got to consistently do that.
"But to get a point out of that drags us a point closer to fourth, so we're happy with that."
Eight yellow cards were shown -- four to each side -- with Jet Andrew Hoole collecting his fifth of the season, sidelining him for Sunday's meeting with Western Sydney Wanderers.
Yet they got off more lightly than Perth, who conceded a questionable first-half penalty before captain Rostyn Griffiths was issued with a straight red for abusing referee Stephen Lucas.
English midfielder Wayne Brown was omitted with a hip-flexor issue during the warm-up and was replaced in the starting line-up by Chinese import Ma Leilei.