Central Coast Mariners claimed its third Premier’s Plate and remains on track to earn a historic treble since becoming a foundation club of the A-League in 2005.
The Mariners secured the premiership after a convincing 2-0 win over Adelaide United in driving rain at Industree Group Stadium last night.
The title remained in Australia after the Mariners leapfrogged New Zealand’s Wellington Phoenix to claim the silverware by two points in the final game of the A-League’s home and away season.
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It was the Mariners’ first premiership since 2012 when current Socceroos coach Graham Arnold led the club.
Jacob Farrell steadied the home side’s nerves in the 36th minute after Adelaide dominated the attacking exchanges from the third minute after the clash which was originally scheduled for last Sunday was delayed after Mariners were caught in a flood at Dubai Airport after AFC Cup duty last week.
Max Ballard scored the insurance goal in the 76th minute when debutant Reds’ keeper Ethan Cox’s pass to Ethan Alagich was easily intercepted by the midfielder.
Balard coolly slotted the ball home into an empty net from 15m.
Balard’s goal came after Farrell opened the scoring when he also took advantage of poor defending.
Farrell nodded the ball home from a neat set piece from Brazilian attacker Mikael Doka.
Mariners’ Socceroos midfielder Josh Nisbet was ecstatic after securing the premiership.
“It was one of our goals at the start of the year and we have achieved that,” Nisbet told Paramount +.
“We’ve got a good defensive structure so when things don’t work out, we don’t concede goals.
“We didn’t start that well but we ended up getting the goals and winning it.”
The brilliance of Mariners’ veteran keeper Danny Vukovic and classy defender Brian Kaltak kept Adelaide scoreless despite the Reds peppering the goal mouth until Farrell’s timely goal.
Adelaide had three shots on target from 10 shots on goal in the first half, but it was the Mariners who were much more dangerous in transition after soaking up the eager pressure from the away side.
Asian bonus
With the reigning A-League champions Mariners chasing a maiden AFC Cup title when it plays the final against Lebanon’s Al-Ahed in Oman on Monday, the competition’s smallest club will also represent Australia in the more prestigious AFC Champions League for the 2024/25 season.
Australia has been allocated just one spot in the Champions League after slipping to 11th best league in the Asian Football Confederation.
King prank
Just three minutes in, it appeared that the Mariners had scored the opener when Kaltak’s header thundered against the crossbar and bounced near the goal line.
VAR intervened and rightly clarified that it was no goal and offside before referee Alex King ordered a drop ball.
Nestory’s curtain call
Irankunda signed off his stint with Adelaide before joining Bayern Munich this year with a super first half performance.
The18-year-old watched in disbelief in the 61st minute when Vukovic pulled off a world-class save from a 12m rocket from the teenager when he diverted the ball around the post.
Irankunda was later cautioned for clattering into Farrell, just seconds after Mariners’ Storm Roux was booked for a foul on the teenager.
Records broken
Adelaide missed the finals for the first time since 2020 when Dutchman Gertjan Verbeek was in charge before he quit when Covid-19 shut down Australia’s borders.
The club conceded a record 53 goals before the match and scored a record 52 goals – the most in a season.
It’s clear Adelaide’s problematic defence has cost it dearly this season.