Second-half substitute Labinot Haliti marked his Newcastle Jets return in spectacular style with an 87th-minute header to earn a 1-1 draw with Melbourne Victory.

Archie Thompson's 42nd-minute strike, his third in as many games, looked to have earned the defending A-League champions a second win of the season, but both Thompson and Ney Fabiano spurned chances to increase the lead after the break.

That gave Newcastle hope and they came back strongly, Jason Hoffmann firing at goalkeeper Glen Moss and substitute Donny De Groot seeing a header saved.

Fabiano had a penalty appeal waved away after wasting a chance while under pressure from Nikolai Topor-Stanley, and the Jets punished that missed chance late on as Haliti, back at Newcastle after two years playing in Europe, levelled with a close-range header from Tarek Elrich's looping cross.

Melbourne had a chance to snatch all three points but Rodrigo Vargas' late strike beat Kennedy but failed to find the target.

The result sees Melbourne remain in seventh with just five points from their opening five games, while the third-placed Jets move to within two points of leaders Sydney.