Olyroo Matt Simon scored twice as Central Coast overturned a three goal second half deficit to force a thrilling 3-3 A-League draw with Sydney FC at Sydney Football Stadium tonight.
Just as they did in their round seven game at Adelaide, the Mariners fought back from 3-0 down in the second half and it was Simon who also scored the equaliser on that occasion.
A win would have put injury hit Sydney top and Stuart Musialik squandered a great chance to put the game beyond the Mariners reach, when he hit the underside of the bar from close range with his team 3-0 up.
The game maintained the recent tradition of dramatic and high scoring clashes between the two NSW rivals, who have now scored 25 goals in their last four encounters.
Mark Bridge and Adam Casey scored spectacular solo efforts before the break and Terry McFlynn lashed home a third for Sydney in the 57th minute.
Simon pulled a goal back in the 63rd minute and substitute Nik Mrdja added another in the 77th minute.
Simon headed home a corner in the 80th minute to complete the comeback and go to the top of the competitions scoring list with his seventh goal of the season.
Bridge opened the scoring against the run of play in the 28th minute, when he cut in to the penalty area and curled a shot from an acute angle across Mariners goalkeeper Danny Vukovic.
Casey scored a similarly improbable goal 11 minutes later when he picked up the ball about 40 metres out, cut inside and curled a left foot shot from the edge of the area inside the post.
The Mariners looked the more dangerous team early on but couldn’t convert any of their chances.
Sasho Petrovski had a close range header blocked by Ivan Necevski and the former Sydney striker’s woes were compounded a few minutes later, when he was booked for diving in the area.
Vukovic kept the Mariners in the game when he blocked an Alex Brosque shot and the follow up attempt from Terry McFlynn in first half stoppage time.
Irishman McFlynn lashed the ball home from the edge of the area for Sydney’s third, but Musialik’s miss proved costly.
Simon, who also needed treatment for injury in the second half, pulled one back when he raced onto a John Hutchinson through ball.
Mrdja, who replaced Petrovski in the second half, scored the second and Simon ensured the Mariners of a hard earned point.
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