Western United have broken their Central Coast hoodoo with a 3-1 A-League Men win courtesy of a Luke Vickery goal.
Vickery came off the bench at Industree Group Stadium in the 78th minute and put Western ahead 2-1 three minutes later, before Michael Ruhs added another in added time.
But their first win over Central Coast since 2021 has come at a cost after rising star Abel Walatee suffered a suspected abdomen injury early in Friday night’s match.
Walatee had set up an opportunity for the opening goal in the 22nd minute after beating Mariners keeper Dylan Peraic-Cullen to the ball.
The winger passed to Matthew Grimaldi just centimetres in front of goal, but his teammate couldn’t convert, with Mariners defender Sasha Kuzevski denying him on the line.
While Walatee did not appear to suffer an injury in the contest, he played on before going to ground minutes later.
The 21-year-old cut a forlorn figure on the sidelines, replaced by Riku Danzaki in the 26th minute.
A new era of the UEFA Champions League is here, only on Stan Sport.
Western United rise to second in the league after securing their first win in Gosford.
Socceroos hopeful Noah Botic broke the deadlock in the 58th minute following a sluggish first half from both sides.
Angus Thurgate had won the ball in their defensive half and set up a classy chain down the field to Danzaki on the left wing.
Danzaki unleashed a precise cutback, with Botic easily tapping the ball home for his 10th goal of the season.
Botic leads the league’s golden boot standings, ahead of Sydney FC’s Joe Lolley (nine) and Adelaide United star Archie Goodwin (eight).
“We deserved the win,” Western United coach John Aloisi told Paramount Plus.
“When we went one-nil up, they threw everything at us and we had to show a different side.
“We’ve been controlling games most week, good with the ball and out of possession but in that 30-minute period, we had to really dig deep.”
The Mariners are 10th in their premiership-championship defence after extending their winless streak to six matches.
A Western United own goal – after a ball from Lucas Mauragis had unfavourably deflected off Tomoki Imai in the 76th minute – allowed Central Coast back into the game, but the hosts could not profit.
In search of a late equaliser, Bailey Brandtman forced a brilliant save out of Western United keeper Matthew Sutton in the 87th minute.
“That’s kind of been the story of our season so far,” Central Coast coach Mark Jackson told Paramount Plus.
“I felt we had the momentum but the second goal we conceded was a sloppy one. We have to be better in those moments.
“My message is always to switch on, play our game and go for the game.”
Earlier in the evening, Wellington Phoenix coach Giancarlo Italiano was also left grappling with the reality that his side’s hopes of playing A-League Men finals have been dealt a near-fatal blow after a 1-0 loss to Melbourne City.
Entering Friday evening’s contest off a 6-1 drubbing from Kiwi rivals Auckland the week prior, and winless in their past four games, the Phoenix suffered their ninth defeat of the campaign at Sky Stadium thanks to Marco Tilio’s 51st minute strike.
It left them rooted in 11th place on the table.
They came agonisingly close to tying things up in the 68th minute when Corban Piper sent a bullet header towards goal at close range, only for Patrick Beach to deny him with one of the best saves in ALM history.
And now with his side at risk of falling more than 10 points off the playoff race by the time the weekend is done, a glum Italiano acknowledged that the defeat could prove telling.
Giancarlo Italiano. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
“Tonight was like a mini grand final,” he told Sky Sport NZ.
“Even the game before [against Melbourne Victory] we needed to win, it was a six-pointer, so we’ve lost two of those.
“There’s always hope, I still think we can put a run of games together.
“But this result makes it a lot harder.”
A banner calling for Italiano’s sacking was unveiled by a small group of fans pre-game.
The Phoenix will play five of their last eight games across the Tasman, with pivotal trips to face Western United and Sydney FC to come in the next fortnight.
“It might be one of those ones where it’s too little too late now,” Phoenix skipper Alex Rufer, who started his first game since December after an illness, told Sky Sport.
“We need to win eight games, every game from now.”
Conversely, after entering the evening sixth on the table, the congested ALM playoff picture meant City were able to supplant second-placed Adelaide on goal difference with the win, issuing a challenge to their top-six rivals ahead of their weekend fixtures.
Aurelio Vidmar’s side laboured in search of a breakthrough in the opening half but came out with guns blazing in the second and soon found a breakthrough, with Tilio continuing to find form since returning from a long injury layoff by netting his second goal in as many weeks.
“It’s been 12 months since I played three consecutive games, so I’m really happy I’ve got through,” the injury-plagued Socceroo told Sky Sport.
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
If the Mariners avoid losing, it’ll feel like a triumphant close to this two-year odyssey through Asia - despite being out of contention a long time ago.
After a couple months’ break, the AFC Champions League Elite is back to finish out the league stage, but for Central Coast Mariners, the…
Central Coast may have held onto a 2-2 draw after a serious second-half challenge from Newcastle, but Mariners coach Mark Jackson can only see…
Wellington have had two big penalty shouts contentiously denied in a dramatic 0-0 A-League Men draw with Central Coast. A win to either the…
The Central Coast Mariners have breathed fresh life into their A-League Men campaign with a 3-1 win over Western Sydney Wanderers. A well-taken strike…
