The Central Coast Mariners men have shrugged off their early season voodoo with a fortunate 2-1 win in the first instalment of this season’s F3 derby held at Sydney Football Stadium on Friday night November 22.
The reigning A-League champions repeated last season’s form and fightback attitude to bring home the points.
The Jets had struck first in the 64th minute, capitalising on a mistake from 18-year-old Mariners goalkeeper Dylan Peraic-Cullen.
Former Mariners academy standout Lachlan Bayliss created the opportunity with a sublime pass to substitute Ben Gibson.
Although Peraic-Cullen parried Gibson’s initial attempt, the ball fell to Thomas Aquilina, who netted his maiden career goal.
All was not lost.
With the Mariner’s leadership ranks stretched thin, stand-in captain Brian Kaltak rose to the occasion.
The Vanuatuan defender, fresh from World Cup qualifier duties against his New Zealander teammate Storm Roux, delivered a critical equaliser just two minutes after the Jets took the lead .
Kaltak responded by finding space in the box and heading home a superb goal that shifted the momentum back to the Mariners.
Lucas Mauragis’s dangerous cross, aimed at grand final hero Ryan Edmonson, ricocheted off Jets defender Aleksandar Susnjar, sealing the Mariners’ first win of the season and extending their derby dominance to six consecutive matches.
For a Mariners side grappling with a growing injury list, the result was testament to their resilience.
With missing key players including captain Trent Sainsbury (chest), Miguel Di Pizio (knee), and Bradley Tapp (knee), they suffered another blow earlier in the week when young attacker Nicholas Duarte was ruled out until the new year following a freak training accident that left him with a broken ankle.
Mariners coach Mark Jackson reflected on the significance of the win, saying, “it’s been a long time coming”.
“The boys have been working really hard this season, and we we haven’t always got the rubber.”
A glimmer of hope lies in the expected return of Christian Theoharous (hamstring injury) next week, adding reinforcements to the Mariners’ depleted lineup.