Re-live all the action across the A-Leagues on Saturday as aleagues.com.au provided a one-stop-shop for all the goals and match highlights in the Isuzu UTE A-League and Liberty A-League.
The action kicked off in the Liberty A-league at Leichhardt Oval as Sydney FC drew 1-1 with Central Coast Mariners to win their two-legged Semi-Final bout 2-1 on aggregate and book a place in the Grand Final for the seventh season running.
Then, the Premiers Plate went up for grabs in simultaneous kick-offs but wins to both Wellington Phoenix over Macarthur FC, and Central Coast over Newcastle Jets, ensured the Premiership fight will go down to the final day of the regular season and a clash between the Mariners and Adelaide United on May 1.
The action wrapped up in Melbourne at AAMI Park as Western Sydney Wanderers kept their finals hopes alive with a dramatic 4-3 win over Melbourne Victory.
Re-live all the action below.
MATCHDAY AGENDA – Liberty A-League
Sydney FC 1-1 Central Coast Mariners (2-1 aggregate) – Leichhardt Oval
MATCH CENTRE: Click here for stats, videos, highlights and more!
Sydney FC are into an unprecedented seventh consecutive Liberty A-League Grand Final after a 1-1 draw with Central Coast saw Ante Juric’s side secure a 2-1 aggregate win over the Mariners at Leichhardt Oval.
Ante Juric’s Sky Blues broke the deadlock in front of a packed crowd at Leichhardt Oval in the 30th minute when Mackenzie Hawkesby curled the ball home from inside the box.
Somewhat against the run of play the Mariners then pulled themselves level just before half time when Rola Badawiya got the better of two Sydney defenders in the box before slotting her effort beyond Jada Whyman to make it 1-1 on the day and 2-1 on aggregate.
MATCH REPORT: Hawkesby fires Sky Blues into record-breaking seventh-straight grand final
MATCHDAY AGENDA – Isuzu UTE A-League
Wellington Phoenix 3-0 Macarthur FC – Sky Stadium
MATCH CENTRE: Click here for stats, highlights, videos and more!
The Isuzu UTE A-League Premiership race is still alive after Wellington Phoenix beat Macarthur FC 3-0 at Sky Stadium on Saturday night – a result that kept the ‘Nix on top of the table.
First-half goals to Kosta Barbarouses and Tim Payne set Wellington on course to a comfortable win over the Bulls, capped off by a stoppage-time penalty converted by Oskar Zawada.
But in the simultaneous kick-off in Newcastle, Central Coast Mariners recorded a 3-1 F3 Derby win over the Jets to ensure the gap at the top of the table remained at just one point.
Central Coast have one game left to play due to the postponement of their Round 25 clash with Adelaide United; the Mariners and the Reds face off in Gosford on Wednesday, May 1 in the final game of the regular season, needing just a draw to pip Wellington to the post in the Premiership fight.
MATCH REPORT: Phoenix end season on a high with win over Bulls to heap pressure on Mariners in Premiership race
Newcastle Jets 1-3 Central Coast Mariners – McDonald Jones Stadium
MATCH CENTRE: Click here for stats, highlights, videos and more!
Central Coast Mariners now need just a point to seal the Premiers Plate in their final game of the season after overcoming rivals Newcastle Jets 3-1 in a pulsating F3 Derby at McDonald Jones Stadium.
Despite some early chances falling the way of the home side it was the Mariners who broke the deadlock in the 21st minute; Alou Kuol firing them into the lead from the edge of the box to bring about an end to his 13-game goal drought.
Newcastle pulled themselves level just 90 seconds into the second half as Clayton Taylor whipped a pinpoint ball onto the head of a leaping Apostolos Stamatelopoulos to score his 17th goal of the season.
The Jets then continued to pile on the pressure after bagging their equaliser but it was the Mariners who scored the game’s third goal and it came via a deflected effort from substitute Harry Steele in the 82nd minute.
Fellow substitute Ryan Edmondson then put the game to bed just five minutes later as he headed home Mikael Doka’s whipped freekick to ensure the Mariners headed back to Gosford with three points in the bag and crucially, one hand on the Premiers Plate.
FULL MATCH REPORT: Late Mariners flurry seals emphatic F3 Derby win to inch closer to Premiers Plate
Melbourne Victory 3-4 Western Sydney Wanderers – AAMI Park
Western Sydney Wanderers are still in the hunt for finals football after overcoming a two-goal deficit to beat Melbourne Victory 4-3 in a pulsating final-round fixture at AAMI Park.
Victory sprung out of the blocks and had a two-goal lead after just 15 minutes, as Zinedine Machach and Daniel Arzani found the early goals. But Western Sydney were level at 2-2 by half-time, after Olyroos duo Lachlan Brook and Nicolas Milanovic scored in quick succession on return from the U23 Asian Cup with the Olyroos.
Arzani secured his brace in the second half to make it 3-2 and with Western Sydney needing a win to keep their finals hopes alive, young duo Aydan Simmons and Oscar Priestman both scored their very first Isuzu UTE A-League goals to turn the tide and secure a dramatic 4-3 win for the visitors.
All attention now turns to Melbourne City’s clash with Western United on Sunday; should City fail to beat United at AAMI Park, Western Sydney will finish the season inside the top six and progress to the Finals Series.
MATCH REPORT: Unbelievable comeback rescues Western Sydney’s season as seven-goal thriller sends Wanderers sixth
