Last-gasp equaliser against Wolves earns Mariners first point
Central Coast Mariners picked up their first point of the season equalising late in a 2-2 draw with Wollongong Wolves on Saturday night at WIN Stadium.
The game had a fast-paced tempo in the first half, and the Wolves burst into a two-goal lead within 26 minutes.
Alex Masciovecchio opened the scoring before the in-form Nicholas Olsen added a second a few minutes later.
Ayouk Mouk pulled one back for the away side not long after that to get his team back into the game as they went into the sheds.
In a cagey second half, Arthur De Lima popped up with an equaliser with only seconds to spare for the Mariners.
The visitors had a big chance to go in front within five minutes. Mow snatched the ball from Wolves’ defender Banri Kanaizumi to race in goal, but goalkeeper Oliver Yates came out to block the winger’s shot.
Wollongong started to find their flow and put together some positive combinations, with Olsen and Raphael Le’ai looking dangerous as a couple of shots flew high and wide.
In the 19th minute, Kanaizumi made a strong tackle in the middle of the pitch, allowing Lachlan Scott to roll the ball in behind Le’ai, who drew a good stop from Jack Warshawsky.
Moments later, Le’ai was in again and drove a low effort, which Warshawsky got down to and repelled to safety.
Midway through the half, the Wolves broke the deadlock. Le’ai demonstrated sensational speed down the right wing and played the ball across to Masciovecchio to tap home.
Twenty-six minutes in, Wollongong doubled their advantage through Olsen, who found a pocket of space outside the area and took on a left-footed strike that nestled in the bottom right corner.
The home side’s two-goal buffer was short-lived, with the Mariners scoring three minutes later. The ball dropped to Mow in the left of the box, where he lashed a powerful shot past Yates.
Warshawsky continued to impress for Central Coast and pulled off another superb save in the 38th minute, getting down low to Scott’s first-time shot from point-blank range.
While Wollongong had flooded forward with ample space on offer, their opponents utilised the flanks well, which kept them in the game heading into the break.
The second half was quieter, as the game remained tensely poised, with a goal either way likely to change the momentum.
Central Coast conjured up a rare second-half shot in the 82nd minute as the ball spun to substitute Harper Ryles in the left of the box, but his effort was straight at Yates.
With Wollongong eager to see out their second victory of the season, their opponents kept pushing and in the fifth minute of additional time, they found the goal.
Logan Sambrook sprinted down the right wing before swinging in a cross for De Lima to glance beyond Yates to send the Mariners into elation.
De Lima’s late got means that the Mariners finally have a point on the board in 2025 and coach Lucas Vilela said it was just reward the team’s efforts over the past couple of weeks.
“We know that our last performances haven’t been good, but I think the results haven’t reflected how we’ve played in most of the games,” Vilela said.
“They’re [the players] starting to understand that football is more than just the ball at their feet. And sometimes football is not fair.
“The past couple of weeks were really good.
“Sometimes people outside don’t see the work we put in everyday.”
Wollongong goalkeeper Oliver Yates said he felt the team lacked the intensity in the second half that was on display in the first half.
“I think we just looked a bit flat to be honest. We looked a bit tired. I don’t know what it was,” he said.
“We’re still undefeated so we can be very happy with that and we worked as hard as we possibly could today.
Yates has taken over as the Wolves’ starting goalkeeper for 2025 after deputising for Vedran Janjetovic last season.
He said that he learned a lot from former A-League shot-stopper Janjetovic and is eager to continue as a starter.
“I was hopeful [of getting the starting goalkeeper spot] and I still am hopeful that I can keep that spot for the rest of the season and I’m confident of that,” he said.
“I have played at a first-grade level before. I spent some time in Germany as a first choice when I was 19 which I think hardened me as a player and made my mentality a lot stronger.”
Match Stats
Wollongong Wolves FC 2 (Alex Masciovecchio 23’, Nicholas Olsen 26’)
Central Coast Mariners FC 2 (Ayouk Mow 29’, Arthur De Lima 90+5’)
Saturday 1 March 2025
WIN Stadium, Wollongong
Referee: Thomas Dale
Assistant Referees: Cameron Wright and Travis Griffith
Fourth Official: Joshua Kermond
Wollongong Wolves FC: 1. Oliver Yates, 2. Harrison Buesnel, 4. Dylan Ryan, 5. Banri Kanaizumi, 6. James Anagnostopoulos (15. Dax Kelly 87’), 7. Woon Sub Sim, 17. Marcus Beattie, 21. Nicholas Olsen (3. Darcy Madden 70’), 24. Lachlan Scott, 25. Alex Masciovecchio, 77. Raphael Le’ai (10. Damon Gray 76’)
Substitutes Not Used: 8. Sebastian Duarte, 13. Daniel Solsky, 29. Ben Giason
Yellow Cards: Banri Kanaizumi 58’, Darcy Madden 71’, Alex Masciovecchio 86’
Red Cards: Nil
Central Coast Mariners FC: 30 Jack Warshawsky, 2. Luca Pecora, 3. Michael Paragalli, 4. Rocco Smith, 5. Ben Mewett (14. Angus Reid 87’), 7. Ayouk Mow (17. Jesse Mantell 87’), 8. Lucas Scicluna, 10. Arthur De Lima, 11. Jai Rose (39. Harper Ryles 67’), 21. Muginga Mpota (13. Logan Sambrook 67’), 24. Kye Schumacher (23. Laurence Taylor 57’)
Substitutes Not Used: 40 Joel Wade
Yellow Cards: Rocco Smith 59’, Dylan Scicluna 86’
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 – Jack Warshawsky (CCM)
2 – Nicholas Olsen (WW)
1 – Arthur De Lima (CCM)
Report by Tim Gibson
