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The Central Coast Mariners have won their first A-League Grand Final, beating the Western Sydney Wanderers 2-0.
A goal just before half-time by old-timer Patrik Zwaanswijk opened the game for the Mariners, who had dominated the first-half.
Dutchman Zwaanswijk powered home a bullet-header, not only becoming the oldest player to appear in a grand final, but the oldest scorer in a grand final.
The second-half was closer, with the Red and Black of the Wanderers returning from the break to push the Mariners, but they couldn’t find a goal to equalise.
The Mariners were then awarded a penalty in the 68th minute following a hand-ball by Jerome Polenz.
Man of the match and striker Daniel McBreen buried the penalty to give the club what proved to be an insurmountable two nil lead.
The Wanderers were denied an astonishing perfect finish to their first season, try as they might.
Tony Popovic’s club could not fight their way back and give the rookie coach the victory his fans craved.
But in denying Popovic and the Wanderers, the Mariners completed an overdue fairytale story of their own, winning their first A-League grand final in four attempts to close a chapter of heartbreak.
The Mariners had led 2-0 before and lost – two years ago in a nightmare finale against Brisbane Roar.
But this time they held their nerve to score an emphatic win, and deliver disappointment to a huge part of the 42,100 crowd at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium, who were decked out in typically fierce red and black.
The Wanderers can still take pride in their remarkable achievement of winning the league title in their start-up year, but it will be the yellow and blue of the Central Coast Mariners that take the ultimate, overdue, triumph.
Unfortunately for the Mariners players, Arnold signalled there would be “zero” celebrations to mark the breaking of their grand final hoodoo.
They fly to South Korea on Monday morning for an Asian Champions League match the following day.
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