The Central Coast Mariners broke their long-running record of defeats or draws in Victoria in the A-League by defeating Western United 3-0 at Mars Stadium in Ballarat on Good Friday.
The Mariners haven’t won a game in Victoria since March 2014, when they beat Melbourne Heart (now Melbourne City) 2-1.
The young Central Coast players seem to thrive in the regions outside the capital cities as they did in Mudgee to beat MacArthur FC 4-1 just a month earlier.
The Mariners dominated the match for most of the game, once again controlling the possession statistics, though this week like last week they managed to convert statistics into match points.
The first goal came in the 22nd minute to lead goal scorer Jason Cummings after some super footwork from Brazillian Marco Tulio and Sammy Silvera.
The second score was from Frenchman Beni Nkololo, who found the bottom left corner after a sweet pass from Tulio.
The dynamic duo of Josh Nisbet and Max Balard once again did remarkable work dominating the midfield, showing off one of the best partnerships in the league.
The Mariners went into the break with a strong 2-0 lead against their Victorian hosts.
The second half saw the Mariners’ maturity come into full view, with disciplined defence and spirited attack when warranted.
The crowning goal went to new Mariners recruit Dylan Wenzel-Halls against his former teammates, sealing the deal for the Central Coast side.
That final goal resulted in a clean sheet 3-0 victory and maintained the Mariners’ third place position on the Isuzu-Ute A-League ladder.
The Mariners return back to Gosford’s Industree Group Stadium next Saturday evening, April 15, against league leaders Melbourne City for the so-called Pink Round, which raises funds for the Cancer Council of NSW.
David Abrahams