Super-sub Ryan Edmondson starred for the Central Coast Mariners, scoring two late goals in a 3-1 extra-time A-League Men grand final win over Melbourne Victory.
After Jason Geria had given Victory a 50th-minute lead, the Mariners’ title bid looked dead and buried as the fourth official indicated added time at Gosford’s Industree Group Stadium on Saturday.
But English striker Edmondson popped up with a 91st-minute equaliser to send the game to extra time.
Once there, the Mariners rarely looked back, with teenager Miguel Di Pizio scoring seven minutes into extra time, before a late Edmondson finish rounded out the win.
The result caps a remarkable season for the Mariners, who became the first Australian side to win a treble as they added the championship to the ALM premiership and AFC Cup they picked up earlier this month.
Edmondson was named winner of the Joe Marston Medal as the player of the match after his last-gasp heroics extended Victory’s six-year wait for the competition’s most-coveted prize.
The victorious Mariners celebrate in Gosford.Credit: Getty
Victory boss Tony Popovic suffered his fifth defeat in five attempts as a coach in a grand final.
After a tense first half, at the end of which Alou Kuol was subbed off for Edmondson following a head clash, Victory took the lead through Geria shortly after the break.
Daniel Arzani slipped through a challenge on the edge of the Mariners’ box to find Jordi Valadon.
Geria was in space and Valadon flicked on for the right-back, who thumped the ball beyond Danny Vukovic’s reach into the top corner.
Mariners fans invade the pitch after the grand final.Credit: X
Victory’s legion of supporters went berserk and the Mariners began to open up as they pushed forward for an equaliser.
Each time they did, Victory were ready to counter and Popovic’s men could have had a second when Arzani broke up field, only to overcook his lay-off to an onrushing Bruno Fornaroli.
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The Mariners looked bereft of ideas as the 90th minute ticked by – until Edmondson burst into the box. Receiving a lay-off from Josh Nisbet, the striker fired past Victory goalkeeper Paul Izzo to send the game to extra time.
Suddenly, the Mariners had all the running and Victory were sinking without a trace as Fornaroli and Arzani watched from the bench.
Nisbet began to come into his own, and he proved his class once more when he slipped a ball down the left flank for Ronald Barcellos.
The Brazilian drew the ball back from the byline, and picked out 18-year-old Di Pizio, who calmly finished past Izzo.
Victory spent the entire second half of extra time camped in the Mariners’ half but failed to find an equaliser.
The Mariners made one final burst upfield and Edmondson added his second to send the record home crowd of 21,379 wild.
AAP