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Sydney FC will head into their derby elimination final against Western Sydney high on confidence after beating Newcastle 2-0 to extend their unbeaten run to five games.
Adam Le Fondre handed the Sky Blues the lead with his fourth goal in four games in the 30th minute, with Newcastle goalkeeper Jack Duncan fumbling the striker's shot over the line at Allianz Stadium.
Young striker Patrick Wood fired home a second in the 64th minute to all but wrap up three points while Duncan saved Max Burgess' 76th-minute penalty.
The win was soured when youngster Jaiden Kucharski was sent off in the 90th minute after receiving two yellow cards, just seven minutes after entering the fray, while gun winger Joe Lolley limped off late.
Fifth-placed Sydney will face the fourth-placed Wanderers in a sudden-death final, likely at CommBank Stadium next Saturday.
Newcastle, who aren't playing finals, made six changes to the starting line-up that lost to Central Coast, including benching Beka Mikeltadze, Angus Thurgate and Reno Piscopo.
Sydney drew first blood when youngster Adrian Segecic, who replaced Robert Mak (hamstring tightness), whipped a ball into the near post and Le Fondre's quick-thinking finish caught Duncan off guard.
Le Fondre should have made it 2-0 in the 57th minute but dragged his shot onto the post.
It proved his last involvement before being substituted for Wood.
Five minutes later, the young striker scored.
Sydney built up wonderfully from defence and Wood saw off Phillip Cancar, played a 1-2 with Lolley and coolly drove a left-footed strike past Duncan.
Burgess could have made it 3-0 after Matt Jurman dragged down Wood in the 74th minute but his poor penalty opened the door for Duncan to make a relatively comfortable save.
The Sky Blues have missed six of seven penalties this season.
Kucharski received his first booking in the 86th minute for dragging back Cancar and earned a second four minutes later for an elbow to the head of Thomas Aquilina.
He will miss the elimination final.
Jets defender Mark Natta was forced off with a knee injury in the 66th minute.
