A double from Sasho Petrovski has steered Central Coast Mariners to an unlikely extra-time 3-0 win over Newcastle Jets in the second leg of the A-League major semi final.
Down 2-0 after the first leg, the premiers were rated $4 outsiders to advance to the season decider without having to go through the rigours of a preliminary final.
Petrovski smashed home a powerful strike into the top right hand corner six minutes into extra time to give Central Coast an overall lead they would not surrender.
The Jets barely threatened for the first 100 minutes, however Matt Thompson almost stole the tie with an opportunist thump, miraculously saved by Mariners keeper Danny Vukovic. Had that strike been successful, the Jets would have wrested the overall lead on away goals.
Newcastle will host Queensland Roar next week in a one-off preliminary final. Central Coast win the right to go straight to the grand final, however they won’t have the luxury of Bluetounge stadium, with Sydney to host the season finale.
The Mariners were completely dominant from the outset, however both goals in normal time were thanks to luck as much as skill.
Adam Kwasnik sucked in two defenders near the sideline on 38 minutes, before cutting back in towards the box. His shot appeared to ricochet off a defender, ballooning over the head of Jets keeper Ante Covic into the net.
Central Coast had completed half their task.
The Mariners continued to pour on the pressure, with their reward coming on 74 minutes, when a miscued shot Alex Wilkinson fortuitously found Petrovski, who squeezed in the tie-equalling goal.
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