Central Coast Mariners have seized control of their A-League Men finals destiny after escaping an enthralling derby clash with a 4-2 win over the Newcastle Jets.
REACTION: MARINERS WIN A CLASSIC – ‘THAT HAS PUT THE F3 DERBY BACK ON THE MAP’
Their place in the top six on the line, a goal from Brazilian attacker Moresche and a brace from Jason Cummings in the opening stanza seemingly had them sitting pretty at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday night.
A volley from Lucas Mauragis and an own goal from Jacob Farrell in the opening five minutes of the second half, though, threw a 3-2 shaped-spanner in the works.
Suddenly, the hosts had the wind at their backs as they sought to keep their own finals chances on life support as well as deal a heavy blow to their rivals.
And when Savvas Siatravanis pounced on Mark Birighitti’s save of an Archie Goodwin effort to score in the 82nd it appeared the momentous comeback had been completed.
But a potentially season-defining twist then arrived: VAR intervening to disallow the goal for a Goodwin push on Kye Rowles.
On the park for less than two minutes, 17-year-old Garang Kuol then delivered a final blow for the Mariners in just his fifth ALM game.
Their second derby win of 2021-22 secured, coach Nick Montgomery’s side have now vaulted into fifth position on the ALM table on 33 points.
And while sixth-placed Wellington also have 33 points and retain a game in hand, now seventh- and eighth-placed Macarthur and Sydney FC are one and two points adrift of the Mariners despite playing one game more.
Their next test will come against second-placed Western United in a week’s time.
Newcastle’s thoughts will turn to planning for next season and serving as a spoiler in remaining games against Macarthur, Western, and, on the final day of the season, the Mariners.
RE-LIVE: NEWCASTLE JETS 2-4 CENTRAL COAST, AS IT HAPPENED
By Matt Comito for KEEPUP
90+5′: RED CARD! Peñha off for stray elbow (2-4)
Daniel Peñha receives his marching orders for a high elbow on Harrison Steele, sparking an all-in confrontation between the two teams.
Injured Mariners striker Matt Simon confronted the Brazilian as he walked down the tunnel as chaos erupted at McDonald Jones Stadium.
90+1 GOAL! Kuol on the slide seals it for Mariners (2-4)
Garang Kuol arrives off the bench to send the travelling Mariners fans into raptures.
“A game of high drama ends with a moment of high, high quality from the 17-year-old,” said Simon on commentary as the drama unfolded, Kuol rushing to the Central Coast faithful after converting on the slide.
83′: NO GOAL! Goodwin foul sees Jets equaliser denied (2-3)
The Jets fans erupted as Savvas Siatravanis put the equalising goal in the back of the net, after Archie Goodwin’s header from a Newcastle corner.
But referee Ams was called over to the pitch-side monitor to assess a potential foul from Goodwin on Kye Rowles, who had two hands in the back of the Central Coast defender before heading on goal.
Ams returned to the scene of the incident, waving away the goal and handing the Mariners the ball, much to the displeasure of the Jets players and their home fans.
62′: SAVE! Duncan to the rescue (2-3)
That could have been the game for the Mariners – but Duncan came up clutch to deny Moresche a brace, and the Mariners a fourth goal.
A deflected Matt Hatch strike fell to Moresche at the back post who slid in to put his shot on target, only for Duncan to show the desperation needed to get across and smother the strike.
51′: OWN GOAL! Farrell puts ball into his own net (2-3)
They couldn’t… could they?
Trailing by three goals to nil at the break, the Jets are now just one goal shy of the Mariners six minutes into the second half, with Farrell attempting to play an Angus Thurgate cross out for a corner but finding the back of his own net instead.
47′: GOAL! Mauragis gives Jets hope (1-3)
Just one minute into the second half, the Jets have found a way back into the game.
Lucas Mauragis wasted no time pegging one back for the hosts, catching Storm Roux napping at the back post as Jason Hoffman’s cross arrived in the six-yard box.
46′: SECOND HALF (0-3)
Riley Warland replaces Jurman for the Jets as the hosts chase a three-goal deficit at home in the second half.
HALF-TIME: JETS 0-3 MARINERS
“The Jets’ season is hanging by a thread,” said Hill on commentary as referee Ams blew the whistle for half-time.
The Mariners frontline was at its clinical best in the first half with Moresche opening the scoring and Cummings adding two more in a fearsome attacking display.
40′: Concerning Jets trend repeats in consecutive games (0-3)
For the second time in as many A-League Men’s games, the Jets are down 3-0 in the first half.
Against Melbourne Victory in midweek the Jets conceded three times in the first 22 minutes; this time out it took the Mariners half an hour to inflict the same amount of pain on the Jets.
34′: PENALTY! Mariners running away with it (0-3)
Béni N’Kololo goes down in the box under the challenge of Matthew Jurman, and referee Ams points to the spot!
Cummings steps up and secures his brace as the Mariners fly out to a 3-0 lead over the Jets.
30′: GOAL! Cummings doubles Mariners lead (0-2)
“The Mariners are 2-0 up and cruising, at the home of their biggest rivals!” Said Paramount+ commentator Simon Hill as Jason Cummings got in on the act, scoring his eighth goal of the season with an unmarked header at the back post from a Mariners corner.
20′: GOAL! Moresche puts Mariners on top (0-1)
Moresche finds the opening goal of the night, getting in behind the Jets defence to meet an ambitious long ball from Dan Hall before goalkeeper Jack Duncan could arrive on the scene.
Moresche’s strike was dinked off the outside of his right boot, rising over Duncan and dropping into the bottom-right corner.
10′: SAVE! Birighitti with the fingertip save (0-0)
Brandon Wilson’s first-time strike off his left peg was a shot out of nothing – but it almost found its way into the top-right corner of goal, only for Birighitti to poke the ball around the post with an outstretched left hand.
7′: SAVE! Birighitti denies Mikeltadze (0-0)
Beka Mikeltadze looked set to notch an early goal with a header off Angus Thurgate’s cross into the box directed toward the bottom-right corner.
Mariners keeper Mark Birighitti got down quickly to his left to palm the ball away from danger.
1′: KICK-OFF (0-0)
We’re underway in Newcastle! And a wet Newcastle at that – i’s pouring at McDonald Jones Stadium as referee Kurt Ams blows the whistle to get the F3 Derby started.
