A stunning second-half performance from substitute Adrian Segecic fired Sydney FC to a 4-1 win over Central Coast Mariners with the winger scoring a hat-trick after coming off the bench in the 55th minute.
Despite the Mariners threatening in the opening stages it was Sydney who opened the scoring in the 12th minute as Klimala was on hand to tap home Joel King’s delivery from close range after the defender was initially picked out by a sumptuous pass from Joe Lolley.
Having grown into the game though the Mariners then bagged a deserved equaliser on the stroke of half-time as Harrison Steele’s bobbling effort flicked off the head of Klimala and over the desperate dive of Devenish-Meares to make it 1-1.
Both sides had good chances to snatch the lead but it was the home side who took theirs in the 72nd minute; substitute Adrian Segecic dispatching the ball across Dylan Peraic-Cullen and into the far corner to make it 2-1 after he was sent through on goal by the impressive Anthony Caceres.
Segecic bagged his second of the night soon after, as he clipped the ball over the on-rushing Peraic-Cullen after Mariners defender Brian Kaltak carelessly gave the ball away on the edge of his own area.
The 20-year-old winger then secured the match ball in stoppage time and his hat-trick goal was the best of the lot as he thumped a long-range strike beyond the keeper and into the top corner to seal a memorable win.
The result moved Sydney FC up into the top six following their sixth win of the season while the Mariners stay ninth on the table and are now five points outside the finals positions.
The Mariners went close to opening the scoring early on but Alou Kuol just couldn’t connect with a dangerous ball across the box from Vitor Feijao and soon after, the Sky Blues pounced.
Cutting in field and onto his favoured left foot, Lolley sent a pinpoint ball to the back post which King then played first-time across the face of goal and into the path of Klimala, who simply couldn’t miss from a metre out.
Klimala then came close to bagging a second of the game, this time in the 20th minute, as he broke clear of the Mariners defence before hitting a looping effort towards goal which Central Coast keeper Peraic-Cullen did well to paw away.
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Peraic-Cullen was then called upon again in the 25th minute, forced to tip a rasping long-range drive from King over the bar.
Opposite number Harrison Devenish-Meares then pulled off a smart save in the 29th minute, tipping Christian Theoharous’ long-range curling effort around the post and away for a corner.
Growing into the game, Brazilian Mikael Doka then had a good chance to level things up but having broken into the box the Mariners no.10 then hit a weak effort towards the near post which was comfortably saved.
With five minutes of the first half to go the Mariners then bagged a deserved equaliser albeit in fortunate circumstances.
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Responding first as the ball bobbled around inside the box following a McCalmont shot, Steele swung a left boot at the loose ball which then bounced into the ground, flicked off the head of the defending Klimala and over the head of the diving Devenish-Meares.
The home side were almost caught out early in the second-half as a cheap turnover from Corey Hollman saw the Mariners gain possession on the edge of the Sydney box but Feijao opted to pass rather than shoot and the move broke down.
It was then the Mariners’ turn to be too risky on the edge of their own area as Doka gave the ball away inside the box but the Sky Blues didn’t punish them as Segecic put the resulting shot well wide of the target.
But while Segecic wasted that opportunity he certainly didn’t waste the next one that fell his way in the 72nd minute.
Collecting the ball off Lolley on the right flank, Caceres carried the ball infield and spotted the forward run of Segecic who, having received a perfectly weighted pass, cooly clipped the ball beyond the dive of Peraic-Cullen and into the far corner to make it 2-1.
Clearly now full of confidence the Sky Blues then killed off the game in the 83rd minute as Segecic bagged his second of the game following a Mariners mix-up at the back.
Fresh off the bench, substitute Patrick Wood harassed and harried the Mariners backline whilst in possession and when Kaltak gave the ball straight to Wood, the forward played a clever backheel through to Segecic who’s delicate dink floated over Peraic-Cullen and into the back of the net to secure the points.
Not done there, Segecic then rifled a stunning effort into the top corner from outside the area to complete an incredible second-half hat-trick having only come onto the field in the 55th minute.
