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Equaliser ... Melbourne Victory's Mark Milligan (C) levels the game with a header. Source: George Salpigtidis / News Limited
A ten-man Central Coast courageously held on for a 2-2 draw against Melbourne Victory in Saturday night's A-League clash at Etihad Stadium.
The draw means the Mariners drop from top spot, ending a run of three consecutive wins.
Central Coast defender Patrick Zwaanswijk was red-carded in the 50th minute after both sides scored two goals each in the first half.
But despite the urgings of the vocal home crowd of 19,462, the Victory simply couldn't penetrate the Mariners' sturdy defence.
Veteran striker Daniel McBreen was a first-half hero for the visitors with two goals to take his season's tally to seven.
| P | W | D | L | GD | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adelaide | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 16 |
| 2 | Central Coast | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 14 |
| 3 | Newcastle | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 12 |
| 4 | Perth | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| 5 | Victory | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | -4 | 10 |
| 6 | Brisbane | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| 7 | Heart | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -1 | 7 |
| 8 | Western Sydney | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -1 | 7 |
| 9 | Sydney | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | -9 | 6 |
| 10 | Wellington | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -2 | 5 |
McBreen put the Mariners ahead with a brilliant one-touch, left-foot shot in the fourth minute after Mile Sterjovski crossed the ball towards goal with the outside of his right boot.
The Victory replied six minutes later through a strong header from teenager Andrew Nabbout, following a fine cross from creative midfielder Marco Rojas.
Nabbout's goal continued the teenager's fairytale run, coming into the starting side on Saturday night for ill Socceroos striker Archie Thompson after Nabbout scored twice as a substitute in last week's 3-2 win over Sydney FC.
McBreen showed his class by dancing around the Victory defence after seizing on a long ball from midfield to poke through his second goal for the match at the 22-minute mark as the Mariners regained the lead 2-1.
Mark Milligan's header into the net in the 40th minute allowed the Victory to draw level at 2-2.
Zwaanswijk had picked up a yellow card early in the first half for time-wasting and received a second and was sent off for leading with his elbow in a clumsy header challenge in midfielder against the Victory's Marcos Flores.
Rojas launched a shot from the penalty area which was saved on the goal-line by Central Coast defender Trent Sainsbury.
Flores didn't help the home side's chances when he gathered two yellow cards, one in the 65th minute for dissent and another in the 90th for a clumsy tackle, to also earn a send-off to make the contest 10 against 10.
Mariners coach Graham Arnold said his men showed wonderful character in the second half.
"After the send-off, we just had to go with the two banks of four and try to defend as good as we can,'' he said.
"Away from home it's not our job to entertain the supporters.''
Quizzed on the Zwaanswijk incident, Arnold said he hadn't seen it.
"All I heard was (commentators) Mark Rudan and Mark Bosnich saying on TV that it was a joke, it should never have been a yellow card,'' Arnold said.
"I haven't seen it. If they're saying that, that's the way it is.''
Victory coach Ange Postecoglou said the 50th-minute send-off had wrecked the rhythm of the game.
"When that happens ... one team sits, the other are trying to force it. We're probably not at the stage as a team where we can really capitalise on having the extra man,'' he said.
"We had some pretty young boys out there tonight at different stages.
"We're playing the team everyone pretty much regards as the best in the comp.''
Thompson was a late withdrawal because of a gastro complaint after vomiting during the warm-up.
Postecoglou said having Gui Finkler (groin) and Thompson out of the side was a huge blow.
"I don't think we're a team at the moment who can carry major absences like that,'' he said.
A frustrated Victory skipper Adrian Leijer paid credit to Central Coast's defence.
"Against 10 men, you'd like to think we'd be able to get three points,'' he said.
Relive this cracker of a game, with all the stats and every goal, in our A-League Match Centre.
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