Central Coast Mariners, with goals from James McGarry and Jason Cummings, have sunk Adelaide United 2-1 in the first leg of their A-League Men semi-final.
The Mariners broke a nine-year finals drought with a stylish triumph on away turf at Adelaide’s Coopers Stadium on Saturday night.
After the Reds took a fourth-minute lead via a Craig Goodwin penalty, the visitors crafted a handy buffer ahead of the second leg in Gosford next Saturday night.
The winner on goals aggregate will meet either Melbourne City or Sydney FC in the June 3 grand final in Sydney.
City and Sydney drew 1-1 on Friday night ahead of next week’s deciding second leg in Melbourne.
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The Mariners produced a dominant first half to down the Reds, whose Japanese frontman Hiroshi Ibusuki hobbled off with a leg injury in the second half.
Central Coast also have a concern, with goalscorer McGarry’s eye-catching display also ending early with an apparent leg injury.
Adelaide’s first attacking sortie, inside two minutes, resulted in a penalty when Goodwin’s cross struck the extended right forearm of Mariner Brian Kaltak.
Goodwin converted from the spot with a low shot into the right corner – goalkeeper Danny Vukovic guessed correctly but was beaten.
Adelaide’s lead was brief, with McGarry levelling the scores in the 15th minute with a super strike.
The Mariners’ left-back launched a right-footer from just outside the area which sailed into the top left corner, leaving Adelaide custodian Joe Gauci helpless.
Central Coast soon went close to adding two more – Sam Silvera blasted onto the crossbar in the 25th minute and Cummings was denied at close-range by Gauci’s reflex right glove six minutes later.
But the Mariners’ dominance was justly rewarded in the 37th minute when they sliced through the midfield, Ben Nkololo found Cummings and the striker beat Gauci with a low right-footer from about five metres out.
The Reds’ best chance of equalising before a parochial 15,771-strong crowd came in the 71st minute when a forceful header from substitute Nestory Irankunda was instinctively saved by Vukovic.
Adelaide’s George Blackwood had two late half-chances – he headed over the bar in the 87th minute and, deep into injury time, angled another header straight at Vukovic.
The Reds’ defeat snaps their five-game unbeaten stretch at home in finals which dated back to the 2013 playoffs.
Central Coast’s victory is their first in the playoffs since a 2014 elimination final.
Montgomery ‘confused’ by moment that saw Mariners denied penalty, defender booked
In his post-match interview, Mariners boss Montgomery pinpointed a moment that left him ‘confused’. He believed his side should’ve been awarded a penalty after substitute Jacob Farrell tangled with Isaias in the 62nd minute, instead the defender was shown a yellow card.
“I’m still confused as to how we didn’t get a penalty and Farell gets booked,” Montgomery told Network 10 after the game.
“I’m looking at it on the screen I just don’t understand what the referee is seeing there.
“That was dangerous for him, on a yellow card that was never a yellow, he had to be disciplined because you know they are going to pump balls wide and look to take you on.
“Again, the cover from Brian and Nectar tonight… I’m super proud of the whole team.”
The Mariners gaffer doubled down on the claim in his post-match press conference, adding: “I thought the boys showed great discipline tonight. For example, Jacob Farrell gets a yellow card. I think it’s a penalty, I don’t know what the referee is seeing. He gets a yellow card for getting fouled in the opponent’s box!
“He’s just come and you’ve got Irankunda running at you, who just wants to give and go, run into you and try and get into you. He’s quick and he uses his pace but I thought the boys should great discipline tonight and they covered each other.”
He then mentioned again later in the press conference: “I’m still baffled as to how he got a yellow card when Isaias does him in the back in the box. We don’t get a penalty, he gets a yellow card!”
During the broadcast, co-commentators Daniel McBreen and Robbie Thomson suggested Montgomery may have a case.
“You see Isaias there, for me, he’s the aggressor,” Mariners great McBreen said.
“I actually think Isaias has given him a good shove in the head and thought, ‘oops, I may have done something wrong there’ and he’s gone down and fooled Alex King.”
Thomson added: “I think Nick Montgomery may have found that a bit embarrassing as well.”
