EAST coast bragging rights were split between Central Coast Mariners and northern neighbours Newcastle Jets following a 1-1 draw at Bluetongue Stadium.
Tom Pondeljak’s superb solo effort midway through the second half put the home side ahead.
But for the visitors, Mark Bridge’s poach with ten minutes remaining ensured a share of the spoils between the two early season high flyers.
A Gosford season three home record crowd of 12,622 spectators were treated to a spectacle fitting of the week-long hype that had surrounded the fixture, which was arguably the most anticipated of the round.
There were standouts for both sides all over the park, with goal scorer Pondeljak particularly impressive, while Mile Jedinak showcased his versatility with an immense performance in central defence.
Ultimately, a draw was a fair outcome after an engaging and at times nail-biting encounter between Australian football’s two fiercest rivals.
The result sees the Mariners keep a three-point lead at the top of the A-League after the first rotation of regular season matches.
"We’re disappointed that we didn’t get the three points tonight, but we’re happy to get a point from a local derby with a big crowd and a lot of passion out there on and off the pitch," said Mariners Football Manager Lawrie McKinna.
"We felt very comfortable at 1-0 and never really felt threatened by Newcastle, but credit to Mark Bridge, he popped up from a rebound from a free kick and got their goal.
"I don’t think Danny had a save to make in the first half and in the second half he had two early on and that was it, while at the other end, big Matty Simon’s shot was only inches past the post and Kwasnik just missed – we had a few chances.
"Overall, we’re a bit disappointed, but we’ve got a point and we’re still clear at the top of the A-League."
The Mariners were a little slow out of the starting blocks, allowing the Jets to enjoy the bulk of possession and chances early in the match.
However, as the first half wore on, the yellow and navy began to find their feet and were unlucky not to have taken a lead into the break, following Sasho Petrovski’s close range effort that was well saved by Ante Covic, and Pondeljak’s deft chip that was again thwarted by the Newcastle shot stopper.
With three new faces in the Central Coast starting eleven and a further two playing in positions unfamiliar to that which they have played so far this campaign, the Mariners’ marginal grip on the game became more noteworthy with each minute.
It was Pondeljak that applied the final gloss to the Mariners’ second half ascendancy by striking home a vintage effort from distance with thirty minutes to play.
Having received the ball in the Central Coast’s attacking third, Pondeljak advanced towards the Jets’ goal and fired off a precise right-footed effort that had Covic well beaten.
The strike was Pondeljak’s eighth in Mariners colours in all competitions and his first of the new season – a poignant achievement given it was the former Qantas Socceroos’ first starting appearance of 2007/08.
From this point, it looked as though the Mariners would coast to a third straight win at their idyllic bayside home, only for Bridge’s late intervention to prove otherwise.
Four of the five previous match ups between the Mariners and the Jets at Bluetongue Stadium had finished 1-1 after regulation time and tonight’s score line made it five – a result that keeps both teams at the top end of the A-League with one third of the season out of the way.
"At the beginning of the season, we were confident that we’d do well, but we’re now sitting three points clear at the top of the league and the experts wouldn’t have picked that," said McKinna.
"We thought we would have been up there at this stage of the season but credit to our squad, we had three centre half’s out tonight, with three new defenders in new positions and our main striker is out – we’ve done alright."
Match Details
Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford.
Referee Matthew Breeze
Crowd 12,622Central Coast Mariners20. Danny Vukovic (gk), 6. Andre Gumprecht, 7. John Hutchinson, 10. Tom Pondeljak, 15. Andrew Clark, 16. Nigel Boogaard, 17. Matthew Osman, 19. Adam Kwasnik, 22. Sasho Petrovski (2. Matt Simon 72’), 23. Mile Jedinak, 24. Damian Mori (8. Dean Heffernan 64’)
Yellows Clark 82’
Goals Pondeljak 62’
Newcastle Jets1. Ante Covic (gk), 2. Adam Griffiths (12. Paul Kohler 64’), 3. Jade North, 5. Stuart Musialik, 8. Matthew Thompson, 9. Joel Griffiths, 10. Denni (21. Mario Jardel 72’), 13. Adam D’Apuzzo, 14. Jobe Wheelhouse (17. Troy Hearfield 69’), 19. Mark Bridge, 27. Stephen Laybutt
Yellows Joel Griffiths 4’, Thompson 39’, Bridge 68’, D’Appuzo 77’, Laybutt 80’, Kohler 90’+3
Goals Bridge 82’