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Mariners defender Brian Kaltak is shown a red card by referee Jack Morgan.
At Industree Group Stadium, Gosford: Wellington Phoenix 1 (Oskar Zawada 90+4’) Central Coast Mariners 1 (James McGarry 12’) HT: 0-1
Star striker Oskar Zawada scored his 10th goal of the season to rescue a point for Wellington Phoenix in another wild encounter against Central Coast Mariners which saw the opposition reduced to nine men and their coach banished from the sideline.
The prolific Pole scored with an outrageous UFC-inspired spin kick following a 94th minute corner to reach his stated goal target for the season as the Phoenix staged a dramatic comeback to snatch a 1-1 draw against the second-best team in the A-League Men at Industree Group Stadium in Gosford on Friday.
The Phoenix were forced to play catch up for most of the match, their fourth straight on the road, after their former fullback James McGarry opened the scoring in the 12th minute with his second goal against the Phoenix for his second different club.
McGarry, who scored against the Phoenix for Newcastle Jets in round three before making the move to the Mariners, volleyed home from close-range after being picked out by fellow New Zealander Storm Roux at the back post, after he was left unmarked by Tim Payne.
After an all-in brawl marred their previous encounter, Friday’s fixture was even more fiery as the Mariners ended with just nine men on the field and lost coach Nick Montgomery after they lost their heads in the second half.
The Mariners saw red when Vanuatu international Brian Kaltak was given his marching orders for collecting David Ball high on the shin in his follow through after going over the top of the ball in the 58th minute.
The red card was Kaltak’s third of the season.
Up until Kaltak’s dismissal, it had been an end-to-end encounter with both teams going close on numerous occasions.
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Phoenix striker Oskar Zawada celebrates after scoring a late equaliser.
Yan Sasse had a shot cleared off the line by Roux after beating goalkeeper Danny Vukovic midway through the first half, while Phoenix shotstopper Oli Sail denied Marco Tulio with his face right before halftime.
Montgomery made a triple substitution when Kaltak was sent off, setting his team up to defend their lead and taking star striker Jason Cummings off.
But the 10-man Mariners were unable to hold on and they imploded when Zawada drew the Phoenix level by spinning his right leg with his back to goal and scoring with a spectacular backheeled finish.
They went down to nine men when Brazilian substitute Moresche took exception to a challenge from Scott Wootton which saw the Phoenix centre-back issued a yellow. Wootton grabbed Moresche around the chest as they competed for a header and the Mariner retaliated by walking up to Wootton and poking his finger into his face.
An irate Moresche had to be calmed down by Mariners staff as he made his way off the pitch.
Referee Jack Morgan then walked over to the Mariners bench and issued a red card to Montgomery for dissent, which will see the Mariners lose their coach for their next match.
The final chance of the game fell to the Phoenix when they won a corner in the 10th minute of stoppage time but Tim Payne’s cross was headed clear.
Friday’s draw moved the Phoenix up to 25 points in fifth place behind Western Sydney Wanderers on goal differential, though they can be overtaken by Sydney FC and Newcastle Jets if either of those clubs win their matches against Melbourne City and Western United on Saturday.
Sydney and the Jets trail the Phoenix by just one point.
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