Newcastle super-sub Milton Rodriguez kept the Jets' A-League championship hopes alive with a vital away goal against Sydney FC at Aussie Stadium.

Sydney won 2-1 in the first leg of the elimination semi-final, but failed to deliver the killer blow in the two-legged playoff as Colombian import Rodriguez scored from a superb individual effort in the 71st minute.

It left the battle for a berth in the preliminary final wide open after reigning champion Sydney looked to have taken a commanding lead with goals to Alex Brosque and Mark Milligan in the opening 30 minutes.

Newcastle hosts the return match next Friday knowing a 1-0 win will be enough to progress to the grand final qualifier.

The Jets will have excitement machine Rodriguez to thank if they get there after he turned the tie with his seventh goal of the season.

The Colombian scored twice on debut against Sydney early in the season and continued to torment the Blues after coming on as a 57th minute substitute on Friday.

In the 71st he received the ball on the edge of the box and, with three touches, turned Sydney defender Iain Fyfe before smashing the ball into the back of the net with a blazing left-foot strike.

It left the bulk of the 21,122 crowd in silence, but gave the ten busloads of Jets supporters something to cheer about after what had looked like a wasted trip at halftime.

The Jets had arrived as the form team after a 4-0 thrashing of minor premier Melbourne last week, but appeared to suffer early stage fright.

Sydney veteran Steve Corica took full advantage to supply both Blues goals.

The first went to Brosque in the 14th minute, although Jets 'keeper Ante Covic should also take some of the credit.

Corica's long ball found Nikolai Topor-Stanley on the edge of the area with the towering Sydney defender heading the ball back towards the goal. Covic came off his line, but was caught in no man's land as Brosque leapt above two Jets defenders to head home.

It was the 23-year-old's fourth goal in six games after going scoreless his first 12 appearances in a Blues shirt.

Socceroo Milligan hadn't scored in the A-League before the match, but found the perfect time to break his duck by doubling Sydney's lead in the 30th minute with a cracking header.

Milligan missed Sydney's grand final triumph through suspension last season, but did wonders for his side's title defence when he hammered home Corica's well-measured cross.

Sydney were well on top leading 2-0 at halftime, but received a blow at the break with midfielder Terry McFlynn forced off with a groin injury.

McFlynn will miss the rest of the finals and is looking at a lengthy stint off the field.

Both coaches agreed his injury, suffered on the stroke of halftime, was a turning point.

"The injury to Terry McFlynn was a crucial one because he was doing such a very good job on Nicky Carle, we had to re-jig things around," Sydney coach Terry Butcher said.

"It's been the story of our season that we've had obstacles and hurdles and anyone at halftime, but we have got over that and have own the game 2-1.

"So once again we go to Newcastle, once again we go to a high pressure situation. Every game for us is a cup final and next week will be no different.

"We'll go up there and we'll give it everything that we possibly can and we're still very confident that we can get through this match."

Newcastle coach Gary van Egmond said Rodriguez's goal left the playoff "50-50".

"We came in at 2-0, the season on the line and the boys went out with a fantastic attitude... and got something out of the game," van Egmond said.

"With that goal, for me it's a 50-50 bet at the moment.

"We came here to win, we felt we had the team to win the game, it didn't pan out that way but it was good that the boys showed a lot of character.

"And the momentum we're taking in from this game... to take that back home to Newcastle is very pleasing."

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