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The Newcastle Jets have ended the A-League regular season with a 2-1 win over Melbourne City in Sydney.

The Newcastle Jets have condemned Melbourne Victory to a first wooden spoon after downing Melbourne City 2-1 in the A-League's regular-season finale.

A long-range thunderbolt from 16-year-old Jet Archie Goodwin cancelled out Stefan Colakovski's early opener before a late Apostolos Stamatelopoulos header secured the three points at Netstrada Jubilee Stadium.

The win moved Newcastle off the foot of the table to avoid their fourth wooden spoon in club history and gave a fitting end to Victory's ignominious campaign.

"I think we've had a tough year with lots of things going on but I think looking at the results we've been in every game for most of the year," said Jets' coach Craig Deans who took charge for the last time.

"I don't think we deserved to finish last.

"The main objective (tonight was) not to finish last but also, same as every game, go in and try to win it."

Secure as premiers but now with just one win from their past five games, City's night was marred by potential first-half injuries to Rostyn Griffiths and a returning Andrew Nabbout.

City will now sweat on the pair's fitness ahead of their home semi-final next week, which has been shifted from Friday to Sunday to allow more fans to attend.

"Andy was always due to play between 30 and 45 minutes, just easing him back in, so we'll assess him," City assistant Des Buckingham said.

"Rostyn just felt a little bit tight so I don't think it's anything too serious, more precautionary."

In more positive news for City, Nathaniel Atkinson got through 45 second-half minutes unscathed in returning from a long-term hamstring injury.

"We've been trying a couple of different things in preparation for finals," Buckingham said.

"We've certainly had a look at a few things over the last couple of weeks.

"It's now about trying to prepare ourselves ... to put ourselves in the best position (for the semifinal)."

His side starting strongly, Colakovski prodded home an Adrian Luna cross in the ninth minute only for Goodwin to restore parity when he received a slick backheel from Lucas Mauragis in space and bent in a long-range screamer in the 23rd.

The subsequent arm wrestle gave way to a frantic finish as Stamatelopoulos rose to meet a Mauragis free-kick and sent a glancing header home to make it 2-1 in the 89th minute before Jack Duncan produced a superb save to deny Atkinson moments later.