Central Coast Mariners scholarship signing Haine Eames became the club’s youngest-ever goalscorer in a 1-1 draw with Macarthur Bulls at Campbelltown Stadium on Monday night.
In the final game of Round 9, Macarthur took an early lead through Daniel De Silva before Eames, 16, equalised in the second half with a clinical finish.
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Having become the club’s youngest-ever debutant earlier this season, Eames broke two more records on Monday night as both the youngest Mariners starter and goalscorer in history.
Macarthur were reduced to 10 men late in the game when Tomislav Uskok brought Mariners striker Alou Kuol to ground as the last defender but the visitors couldn’t capitalise on their one-man advantage as the full-time whistle blew to confirm a 1-1 draw in Campbelltown.
Monday’s trip to Campbelltown also provided the opportunity for Mariners captain and 61-cap Socceroo Trent Sainsbury to make his first Isuzu UTE A-League appearance since January, 2014.
Sainsbury missed the first nine rounds of the 2024-25 season following surgery on a torn pectoral muscle but came off the bench in the Mariners’ 1-1 draw with Macarthur to end his near-11-year absence from the competition.
There was also good news for Macarthur on Monday night as young forward Bernardo made his return from an achilles tendon injury that has kept the 20-year-old sidelined since March.
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The Bulls took just 11 minutes to open the scoring after Marin Jakoliš picked out Jed Drew with a delightful pass labelled “world-class” by co-commentator and former A-Leagues defender Erik Paartalu.
Drew’s first-time strike hit the chest of De Silva who didn’t know much about his goalscoring action, but put his name on the scoresheet regardless.
Mikael Doka did his best to inspire the Mariners back into the game and had two shots on goal from dangerous positions. The first was well saved by Filip Kurto on his 100th appearance for the Bulls, but Doka failed to put the Macarthur keeper to the test with his second attempt which was skied high and wide.
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Mariners head coach Mark Jackson gave 16-year-old Eames his first Isuzu UTE A-League start on Monday night and the teenager had a shot blocked late in the half after an impressive first 45 by the youngster in Campbelltown, while Sasha Kuzevski also had a chance to level the score – however his effort on the turn flashed just wide of the bottom-left corner.
Central Coast ended the first half having taken six shots to Macarthur’s five and although the visitors dominated possession with 68% of the ball, couldn’t find a breakthrough before half-time.
But just eight minutes after the restart, the Mariners did find a way back into the game – and the equalising goal was a piece of club history for Eames who became the Mariners’ youngest-ever goalscorer with his composed right-footed half-volley buried into the bottom-right corner.
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As the game neared its conclusion, both sides continued to push to find a winner and, in the final minute of regular time, the Mariners were handed the momentum when Uskok sent Alou Kuol tumbling on the edge of the penalty area and earned a straight red card for taking out the Central Coast striker as the last defender.
But with a one-man advantage, the Mariners couldn’t capitalise as the game ended 1-1 in Campbelltown.
