A slick second-half brace from striker Roy O’Donovan has seen the Central Coast Mariners stun Western Sydney Wanderers 2-0 at Spotless Stadium on Sunday.
Despite dominating proceedings for large stretches the home side were made to pay for their profligacy when O’Donovan converted a penalty and then beat Vedran Janjetovic for a second time with a delightful chip.
Western Sydney’s Nico Martinez and Terry Antonis both had strong chances to open the scoring in the first-half after they were teed up by Mitch Nichols but weren’t able to capitalise.
Substitute Brendon Santalab was also wasteful when he meekly shot wide of the post despite finding himself unmarked at the back post just minutes after coming on.
Instead it was the Mariners who made the most of their chances to register their third straight win, a result which lifts them to within two points of the top six.
It was just the second time Central Coast have beaten the Wanderers away from Gosford but they’ll be without captain Nick Montgomery for next week’s home clash against the Victory after he picked up his fifth booking of the campaign.
The Wanderers remain winless at their temporary home at Olympic Park and will also be without their skipper for next week’s pivotal Sydney Derby after Dimas was also shown his fifth yellow card of the season.
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GOALS
0-1 Central Coast Mariners: Roy O’Donovan (pen.) 65’
Wanderers defender Jonathan Aspropotamitis was penalised for holding in the box from a Mariners corner, with O’Donovan stepping up and emphatically burying the spot-kick.
0-2 Central Coast Mariners: Roy O’Donovan, 78’
A chip over the top from Nick Montgomery played O’Donovan in behind the Wanderers backline and the Irishman subsequently chipped a stranded Vedran Janjetovic to register his tenth goal of the season.
OPTA STATS
- The result was the first time in 27 games the Mariners have kept a clean sheet away from home.
- Mitch Nichols became the 19th player in Hyundai A-League history to make 200 appearances.
INJURY WARD
Mariners goalkeeper Paul Izzo and Wanderers defender Scott Neville clashed in the air as they contested a cross before the break but both were able to continue after being assessed.
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