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The Central Coast Mariners won their first A-League title in their fourth Grand Final with a convincing 2-0 win over the Western Sydney Wanderers.
It was an excellent display from the Central Coast, who created the better chances throughout the match and deserved the win.
Although the Central Coast were worthy winners on the day, their task was made easier by the selection blunder of the year by coach of the year Tony Popovic.
Popovic has had a great year and when he speaks he is calm and modest. Two good attributes you want in a football manager. However he made one change that made WSW’s cause that much harder.
Yianni Pertakis had come into the team for the injured Aaron Mooy in the final round of the season. A match WSW needed to win to finish first. He was impressive.
At only 19 years of age, he had vision, time and awareness. He was calm and effective. It was a quality debut.
Similarly, two weeks later against Brisbane in the semi final he joined Ono and Poljak as an excellent midfield combination. With Topor-Stanley and Beauchamp at the back and a quality midfield, WSW were rarely troubled against the Roar.
Mooy during this time had been out injured. However, in the blunder of the year, Mooy was favoured to start over Pertakis.
Pertakis, in fact, was wearing a suit on the day. He is the brightest thing to happen to Australian football since a young Harry Kewell sent the MCG into a frenzy by scoring the opening goal against Iran in the ultimately disappointing 2-2 draw in 1997.
Yet, he was on the bench wearing a suit instead of wearing boots.
The rest is history. WSW should have got a penalty just after Central Coast scored their first goal, but the referee made an error. He was right to give the Mariners their penalty.
Although these decisions favoured the Mariners anyone who uses this as an excuse for defeat is missing the point. The better team won on the day.
The Mariners, 0 from 3 in the final match of the season going in to this match, were deserved Grand Final winners.
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