Central Coast Mariners 3 – 5 Brisbane Roar
Their respective positions on the table did not stop the Central Coast Mariners and Brisbane Roar from putting on a spectacle in Gosford.
Fans were treated to an eight-goal affair – which included two red cards – as the Roar claimed their third win of the season.
Eric Bautiac got the ball rolling scoring a goal to remember as he opened the scoring with an overhead scissor in the 31st minute.
Fellow international Alex Lopez would then submit his entry for goal of the season with a thunderous volley to extend Brisbane’s lead just four minutes later.
Two down at home – the Mariners found their way back into the contest through Connor Pain who scored the game’s third goal in the 38th minute, before Tobias Mikkelsen’s goal extended the visitors’ lead back out to two goals.
Though it was the Mariners who went into the break with the momentum as Aiden O’Neill continued his impressive form of late – striking the ball from outside the box into the bottom left corner on the cusp of half time.
A five goal opening half was only the beginning as things only got crazier in the second half.
Brisbane regained their two goal buffer through Alex Lopez who completed his brace before Mariners young-gun Aiden O’Neill was booked a second time and given his marching orders.
O’Neill’s dismissal from the match seemed to take the life out of the Mariners who struggled to get back into the game and would go on to concede a fifth as Dylan Wenzel-Halls extended Brisbane’s lead to three goals.
A late goal to Jordan Murray – his second for the season – brought the score to 5-3, creating history in the process as it was the first time an A-League match finished with eight goals.
Though the drama did not stop here as Matt Simon was given a straight red for a crude challenge in the 95th minute which will see him miss weeks.
