Brisbane Roar salvaged a late 2-2 draw against Central Coast in Andrew Redmayne’s milestone 300th A-League appearance.
The Mariners took an early advantage with an impressive header from Sam Klein, dominating much of the first half. However, a magical goal from Jesse Mantell, followed by Nathaniel Blair’s effort, set the stage for a hopeful outcome for Central Coast. Sadly for the hosts, Jordan Lauton’s late header disrupted their plans, leaving both teams in a tough spot outside the playoff zone.
Had the Mariners managed to hold onto their lead, they would have been in a strong position for playoff contention. Instead, they must now string together several victories and rely on favourable circumstances to secure a position in the top six. Conversely, Brisbane Roar needed a win to keep their slim hopes alive.
Andrew Redmayne likely didn’t envision his 300th A-League match starting off on such a rocky note. Just three minutes in, former Mariner James McGarry executed a clever one-two during a corner and delivered a superb cross which was stunningly headed in by Sam Klein. The 37-year-old goalkeeper was powerless to stop it as Klein’s header struck the crossbar before finding the net.
Redmayne quickly redeemed himself with a fantastic save to prevent Klein from scoring again, diving to his left to deflect the shot behind with both hands.
By the time the teams regrouped at halftime, Redmayne might have felt frustrated with his defenders. The backline surrendered eight shots to Brisbane, the league’s least threatening attacking team, in the first half. Moreover, Central Coast struggled in front of goal, taking until the 38th minute to finally register a shot.
Whatever was said in the home dressing room during the break proved effective. Just six minutes into the second half, Jesse Mantell, making his first A-League start, slipped behind Brisbane’s defence, turned with the ball, and unleashed a powerful strike from inside the box, beating Dean Bouzanis. There was a long VAR check to determine the goal’s legitimacy, with tension swinging back and forth, but ultimately it stood, sending the 18-year-old racing into the arms of his ecstatic schoolmates in the Northern stand.
The hosts barely had time to bask in the glory of Mantell’s goal when Lucas Mauragis surged forward on the left flank, sending in a perfectly placed cross that found Nathaniel Blair. He powered his header past Bouzanis, putting the Mariners ahead with his third goal since joining in January.
Brisbane could have succumbed to the pressure of the Mariners’ momentum but nearly equalised when Youstin Salas floated a delightful cross towards the back post, where Henry Hore connected, only to see his header strike the upright.
In the third minute of stoppage time, however, Brisbane managed to spoil the Mariners’ celebration. A deflection sent the ball high into the air above the penalty area, and despite Redmayne’s effort to claim it, he was outdone by Jordan Lauton, whose header found the empty net.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
WHAT THEY SAID
Jesse Mantell
Michael Valkanis
Compiled by SportArena.au
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