Central Coast Mariners gave themselves a fighting chance of a first-placed finish in the 2007-8 Hyundai A-League premiership phase, while condemning Wellington Phoenix to a wooden spoon finish in their maiden campaign, by downing the visitors 2-0 at a rain-soaked Bluetongue Stadium on January 19. Despite the inclement conditions, which were uncomfortable for players and spectators alike, 9849 fans piled into Gosford's premier sports venue to cheer their charges on, knowing that a win was essential for both the Mariners' A-League and Pan-Pacific Championship prospects, never mind their finishing position on the league table. With the rain teeming down relentlessly throughout proceedings, and the playing surface slushy at best, both teams did their best to produce a worthwhile contest in the inclement conditions, and it was the home team who enjoyed the first opening of the match, in the fourth minute. Tom Pondeljak, who was a constant source of creativity throughout the match, fired in a free-kick from the left which Mile Jedinak met with his head on the far post. The ball flew across the face of goal, but gave the Mariners hope that their man's aerial prowess would continue to cause Wellington problems throughout the evening. They weren't to be disappointed in that regard. Five minutes later, the visitors responded with the best chance of the half. Michael Ferrante pinged a pass down the left for young Wellington striker Costa Barbarouses to chase. Making just his first start for his home-town team, the youngster, who captained New Zealand at last year's FIFA U17 World Cup Finals, got in behind the defence and rounded the exposed figure of Danny Vukovic before firing the ball into the side-netting of an open net, towards which Alex Wilkinson and Tony Vidmar were beating a hasty retreat. That let-off spurred the Mariners on, and after Jedinak had gone close as he got on the end of a counter-attack seconds later, the recalled Jeremy Christie and Matt Simon both fired over the respective nets - in the Mariners' striker's case, he should have done far better to reward Pondeljak's powerful run, particularly given he received the midfielder's pass inside the penalty area. The home team came within inches of opening the scoring in the fourteenth minute when John Hutchinson's corner to the far post was met by Pondeljak with a side-footed volley. From six yards, he steered the ball fractionally too high, with birthday boy Glen Moss rather relieved to see him do so. The Mariners kept on coming. Moss denied Hutchinson at close quarters before the attacking midfielder sent a header flashing over the bar from an Adam Kwasnik cross, having been left completely unmarked by a Wellington defence which, while having reverted to a four-strong unit, was far from being a cohesive one - the foundations of the side will unquestionably be Ricki Herbert's highest priority during the close-season. In the nineteenth minute, Pondeljak and Simon worked a one-two just outside the Wellington penalty area which saw the midfielder slip into the box and unleash a shot on the run. The advancing figure of Moss blocked it with his legs, but looked on in horror as the rebound went straight to Simon. The 'keeper's relief upon seeing the striker snatch at the shot and blaze over an open goal was tangible. Having weathered the storm, the visitors reminded their hosts that the points were wanted just as much on the other side of the Tasman, given Wellington required a point from this match to leave Perth Glory as the season's cellar-dwellers. Barbarouses was proving as slippery as the conditions for the Mariners' defence to contain, and it was through his dancing feet that the next opportunity came about, an unchallenged Kristian Rees header which flew wide from ten yards. Central Coast retorted on the half hour, although Pondeljak's twenty-five yarder skewed wide of the mark because he collected more turf than ball when shooting in the slushy conditions. The home team continued to make the running, and were awarded a free-kick four minutes before the interval, after the cumbersome Jeremy Christie had committed one too many fouls for referee Kevin Docherty's liking. Hutchinson's delivery to the far post found Jedinak leaping through the crowd to direct a towering header against the crossbar. Wellington scrambled the ball to safety, but another free-kick two minutes later saw Alvin Ceccoli deliver the sphere into the danger zone. Jedinak edged out Rees in the air to direct a header goalwards, the ball flying past the diving figure of Moss but just past the far post to ensure that half-time was reached with neither team having troubled the scoreboard operators. That situation changed soon after the interval. Before it did, Ross Aloisi was on the charge for Wellington, and he slipped Shane Smeltz in on the edge of the penalty area. The striker skipped past a defender before firing a shot straight at Vukovic. It was the first time in nearly thirty years that the Aloisi brothers had played together on the same pitch, and it was Central Coast striker John who was the happier of the two in the 52nd minute, as he headed his side in front. Nigel Boogaard threw the ball in to Pondeljak, who instantly curled over an inviting cross from the right. Through a cavernous gap in the heart of the Wellington defence dashed Aloisi, who timed his leap to perfection and guided his header over the flailing figure of Moss and into the back of the net from eight yards - 1-0 Mariners. Wellingon sought a swift riposte, Smeltz and Christie combining on the right, with the latter

getting to the by-line. Unfortunately for the visitors, he was unable to steer his pull-back into the path of the incoming Aloisi. After Andre Gumprecht and Pondeljak had both threatened for the Mariners - the latter was thwarted by Karl Dodd's covering challenge, a Ferrante corner found the head of Rees, his header deflecting off an opponent into the grateful gloves of Vukovic, who greedily grabbed the ball as Barbarouses reacted too late to the opportunity in the shadow of the crossbar. That came on the hour mark. Seconds later, the Mariners came desperately close to doubling their advantage, denied only by a stunning save from Moss, who must surely be the competition's best goalkeeper this season. Boogaard played the ball forward for Pondeljak, who laid the ball off into the path of substitute Sasho Petrovski. From twenty yards, he let fly, only for Moss to launch himself high to his left and paw the ball to safety. After Kwasnik had fired a twenty-five yarder wide of the mark, the Mariners started getting a tad nervous, evidenced by the fact that they were dropping further and further back, inviting Wellington to attack them in the hope that the visitors would get caught on the counter-attack. Instead, it was Wellington, who needed a goal to clinch the point they needed to avoid a last-placed finish, who looked the more likely team to score over the course of the next twenty minutes. Vince Lia and Barbarouses linked on the right in the 68th minute, with the youngster leading Ceccoli a merry dance as a result. He steered the ball inside to Christie, who lacked a striker's instincts in the circumstances, and promptly yielded possession. The Mariners only cleared the ball as far as Tony Lochhead, allowing the fullback to lash a twenty-five yarder just past the far post. Ten minutes from time, Wellington had another opportunity to equalise. Barbarouses again left Ceccoli trailing in his wake as he ran towards the target, and upon reaching the edge of the penalty area he unleashed a rising drive which had the beating of Vukovic, but grazed the top of the crossbar en route to oblivion. Four minutes later, Lochhead and substitute Ahmad Elrich combined to slip another Wellington replacement, Greg Draper, into the penalty area. Making just his second appearance for the visitors, the striker almost crowned it with a goal, his clipped shot across Vukovic creeping just past the far post. Having survived this scare, the Mariners quickly regrouped and set about recapturing their attacking mindset with a vengeance. Within seconds of Draper's near miss, Petrovski signalled the home team's intentions with a rasping twenty-five yarder which careered past the upright. Then, after Lia had scythed Hutchinson with a flying late lunge for which he should have received a red card from referee Docherty - yellow was the hue on view, the official marred an otherwise impressive performance by denying the Mariners a stonewall penalty in the 87th minute. Jedinak and Kwasnik combined on the right, with the latter's cross picking out Petrovski eight yards out from goal. Rees was already pulling at his shirt at this point, but the striker managed to complete his turn, only to be hauled to the ground by the defender, right in front of the referee. Inexplicably, Docherty waved play on, and to say the Mariners were aggrieved is something of an understatement! But they channelled their aggression in the ideal manner, and three minutes into stoppage time, gained their due reward for doing so. Inevitably, Pondeljak was involved in the goal which clinched the game for the home team. Sent racing down the inside-right channel by Kwasnik, the midfielder scampered into the penalty area before pulling the ball back behind both Petrovski and Hutchinson. Striding onto it was Kwasnik, who, from twenty yards, steered home a beauty right into the top right-hand corner of the net, the shot struck so sweetly that Moss barely moved as the sphere swept past him towards its destiny. That of the Mariners is still to be decided. A top-three finish is certain, but which position they occupy will be determined by the outcomes of the matches involving Sydney FC and Queensland Roar. Wellington, on the other hand, know their fate, their last-placed finish about the only weapon one could use to compare the league's newcomers with their ill-fated predecessors, the NZ Knights. In many other ways, the New Zealand entry has been a marked success, but no matter how many other boxes they have ticked, the end-of-season league table is the one gauge by which all clubs are judged, no matter what their circumstances. It is never an option to be satisfied with finishing last - to do so suggests mediocrity is the aspiration. If Wellington again achieves a Knights-like finish following the 2008-9 campaign - one in which they will have time aplenty in which to recruit prudently, rather than the limited period they had to cobble a side together this time round - a great deal less tolerance of their plight will be had, of that you can be certain. Central Coast:     Vukovic; Boogaard (Clark, 85), Wilkinson, Vidmar, Ceccoli; Kwasnik, Pondeljak, Jedinak (booked, 22), Hutchinson; J. Aloisi (Petrovski, 55), Simon (Gumprecht, 37) Wellington:     Moss; Lia (booked, 86), Dodd, Rees, Lochhead; Christie (booked, 41) (Elrich, 82), Brown, R. Aloisi (Draper, 63), Ferrante; Barbarouses, Smeltz (Campos, 82) Referee:     Kevin Docherty