A 89th minute winner from defender James Donachie saw the Central Coast Mariners defeat Western Sydney Wanderers 3-2 to climb up to seventh on the Isuzu UTE A-League ladder.
The Wanderers started the brighter of the two sides and were rewarded for their early dominance with the opening foal in the eight minute as Angus Thurgate slotted home Ryan Fraser’s cutback.
The Wanderers should have doubled their lead in the 20th minute as Fraser sent an inch-perfect pass across the face of the goal and into the path of Brandon Borrello, however the Socceroo sent his effort crashing back off the woodwork.
The Mariners first real chance on goal came in the 33rd minute when Japanese winger Kaito Tanaguchi cut inside his man but fired wide of the target when he should have tested Wanderers keeper Lawrence Thomas.
Wanderers defenders Phillip Cancar and Anthony Pantazopoulos both came within a whisker of scoring from a corner in first half stoppage time as first Cancar saw his effort crash back off the bar from close range before Pantazopoulos then saw his strike flicked over the bar by Mariners defender Donachie.
The equaliser arrived in the 55th minute of the contest and it came from the boot of Ali Auglah who, having found himself unmarked inside the box, received the pass from Storm Roux and bent an exquisite effort beyond Thomas and into the top corner.
Gary van Egmond rolled the dice and introduced three substitutes in the 65th minute and one of those players, Hiroshi Ibusuki, made an immediate impact.
Hurtling forward on the counter, Fraser picked up the ball and played in substitute Bozhidar Kraev down the left and the Bulgarian then coolly picked out Ibusuki inside the box to make it 2-1.
The visitors led for just eight minutes before Mariners substitute Nathanael Blair then levelled things up in the 77th minute as defender Lucas Mauragis picked him out at the far post with a pinpoint cross and the striker did the rest, nodding a superb downward header beyond Thomas to make it 2-2.
The home side then snatched all three points in dramatic late fashion as Donachie was in the right place at the right time to convert from inside the box, slotting home the rebound after Bailey Brandtman’s initial shot clattered back off the post.
The result takes the Mariners up into seventh on the ladder and now within touching distance of the top six.
As for the Wanderers, they remain bottom of the ladder and are now nine points outside the top six.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
WHAT THEY SAID
Hear from Mariners defender James Donachie, who spoke to Paramount+ after his goal fired the Mariners to a thrilling 3-2 over Western Sydney.
Former Central Coast star and championship winning defender Jacob Farrell was back at polytec Stadium but this time in a Wanderers shirt. He spoke to Paramount+ after the game.
