NEWCASTLE Jets were crowned A-League champions after a 1-0 defeat of Central Coast Mariners in the Grand Final at Sydney Football Stadium.
Mark Bridge netted the winner as the Jets claimed their first championship title, leaving the Mariners to contemplate a second single-goal defeat in the Grand Final in three years.
Bridge capitalised on an error by retiring defender Tony Vidmar to race towards goal before firing home an unstoppable shot after 64 minutes.
Central Coast goalkeeper Danny Vukovic was sent-off in the fourth minute of stoppage time after furious protestations to referee Mark Shield as the Mariners appealed in vain for a penalty after the ball appeared to hit James Holland`s elbow in the area.
The Jets dominated the early stages of a tight affair, with Tarek Elrich, Matt Thompson and Bridge all going close before Adam Kwasnik hit the side netting for the Mariners.
The second half followed a similar pattern, but Bridge`s strike opened up the contest.
The striker dispossessed former Australia defender Vidmar who was attempting to pass back to his goalkeeper. Vidmar tried to recover, but Bridge shrugged off the challenge and beat Alex Wilkinson before rifling the ball beyond Vukovic from the edge of the box.
John Aloisi was denied an 86th-minute penalty when Adam D'Apuzzo appeared to tug the striker and the contest ended in chaos when the Mariners surrounded Shield and Vukovic, who had raced from his own penalty area, was dismissed.