True to form, the Mariners left it late, but with their never-say-die attitude and some clutch moves from A-League Coach of the Year, Mark Jackson, they staged a sensational comeback against Melbourne Victory.
The first half was as tight as you’d expect in a high-stakes clash between two of the A-League’s best defensive teams. Danny Vukovic had to pull off a cracking save to his right, while the Mariners’ highlight was an unmet cross from Christian Theoharous.
Five minutes into the second half, Melbourne Victory struck first. Jason Geria found himself on the edge of the box and unleashed a rare gem into the top corner, giving Vukovic no chance.
Tony Popovic’s boys looked set to spoil the party again after breaking Wellington’s hearts in last week’s semi-final second leg. Geria’s strike seemed enough until the 90th minute when Ryan Edmondson emerged as the hero, drilling home a roof-raising equaliser.
The Mariners had the momentum going into extra time but still needed a hero. Enter Miguel Di Pizio. Known for his knack for big moments, Di Pizio delivered once more. Earlier in the season, he netted late against Terengganu to keep our AFC Cup hopes alive and bagged a brace off the bench against Abdysh-Ata Kant to send us to the AFC Cup Final.
Before tonight, he had only one A-League goal to his name. But in the 96th minute, from Ronald Barcellos’ cut-back (another super-sub), Di Pizio doubled his tally with a cool finish. Just a minute earlier, Dan Hall made a crucial recovery tackle to deny Ben Folami.
With Melbourne Victory throwing everything forward in a desperate bid to force penalties, the Mariners stood firm. Deep into injury time, Edmondson broke away, with the option to take it to the corner or pass to Nisbet. The 23-year-old chose to go it alone, curling one beyond Paul Izzo to seal the deal and crown the Mariners back-to-back Champions.
