Mariners put Coast on the map in extra time thriller

It was a day in history for the Central Coast when 21,379 supporters packed into Industree Group Stadium in Gosford and thousands more watched on from a live screen on Leagues Club Park to see the Central Coast Mariners win the Isuzu UTE A-League Grand Final.

In what turned out to be the most thrilling game of all time the Mariners beat Melbourne Victory 3-1.  Victory scored the first point in the 50^th minute a were just minutes away from securing the title when Ryan Edmondson struck in the 91^st minute to take the game to extra time.

Seven minutes later and Miguel Di Pizio put the Mariners in front and then Ryan Edmondson in the 121st minute put the score beyond any doubt.

Spectators went mad and swarmed onto the pitch to congratulate their heroes in a spectacular scene not seen before in any A-League Grand Final.

The little Central Coast team who had been written off in the years since they won the Grand Final against the Newcastle Jets in February 2008  and then the grand final last year has proved that skill and persistence pays off.

Commenting on the event, Industree Group Stadium Venue Manager, Kath Casey said, “The A-League Grand Final is being lauded as the greatest sporting event ever held on the Central Coast.

“A new all-time record crowd of 21,379 was set after a sponsor funded additional seating at the southern end of the stadium, along with additional attendees as a result of the huge Grand Final overlay.”

Thousands more packed into a Live Site across Dane Drive in nearby Leagues Club Park, which was hosted by Central Coast Council and supported by Destination NSW, the lead tourism arm for the NSW Government.