Football: Central Coast Mariners beat Melbourne Victory in extra time to claim back-to-back A-League titles

Central Coast Mariners have stormed back to beat Melbourne Victory 3-1 in a dramatic A-League grand final to claim back-to-back titles and become the first Australian team to seal a historic treble.  

The club added the A-League championship to the Premiership title and AFC Cup.  

Melbourne Victory looked to be on their way to their first A-League Championship since 2018 after Jason Geria had given Victory a 50th-minute lead with a stunning effort from just outside the box.  

With the Mariners' struggling to register shots on goal, their bid for a second consecutive title seemed to be over.  

But as the game ticked into added time English striker Edmondson suddenly scored a 91st-minute equaliser to send the game to extra-time and the home crowd of over 21,000 into a frenzy.  

Over the extra 30 minutes, the Mariners were far more ruthless, with teenager Miguel Di Pizio hitting home seven minutes into extra-time, before a late Edmondson finish polished off the comeback win.  

Di Pizio,18, became the youngest-ever Grand Final goalscorer in A-League history.  

Edmondson was awarded the Joe Marston Medal as the player of the match.   

"I still think I'm dreaming, someone needs to wake me up because what's just gone on in the past 120 minutes, I can't comprehend," Edmondson said.   

"All season these boys have had a never-say-die attitude. It's gone from losing the first four games of the season to this. It goes to show the character of each and every one of us."  

Victory coach Tony Popovic has now lost five times in the Grand Final with three different clubs.  

"A lot of it is the mindset, that's what it is. We've got a fantastic group of players," Central Coast Mariners coach Mark Jackson said after the win.  

"Never write us off... Once we scored, I knew we'd get another one."

Central Coast Mariners have stormed back to beat Melbourne Victory 3-1 in a dramatic A-League grand final to claim back-to-back titles and become the first Australian team to seal a historic treble.  

The club added the A-League championship to the Premiership title and AFC Cup.  

Melbourne Victory looked to be on their way to their first A-League Championship since 2018 after Jason Geria had given Victory a 50th-minute lead with a stunning effort from just outside the box.  

With the Mariners' struggling to register shots on goal, their bid for a second consecutive title seemed to be over.  

But as the game ticked into added time English striker Edmondson suddenly scored a 91st-minute equaliser to send the game to extra-time and the home crowd of over 21,000 into a frenzy.  

Over the extra 30 minutes, the Mariners were far more ruthless, with teenager Miguel Di Pizio hitting home seven minutes into extra-time, before a late Edmondson finish polished off the comeback win.  

Di Pizio,18, became the youngest-ever Grand Final goalscorer in A-League history.  

Edmondson was awarded the Joe Marston Medal as the player of the match.   

"I still think I'm dreaming, someone needs to wake me up because what's just gone on in the past 120 minutes, I can't comprehend," Edmondson said.   

"All season these boys have had a never-say-die attitude. It's gone from losing the first four games of the season to this. It goes to show the character of each and every one of us."  

Victory coach Tony Popovic has now lost five times in the Grand Final with three different clubs.  

"A lot of it is the mindset, that's what it is. We've got a fantastic group of players," Central Coast Mariners coach Mark Jackson said after the win.  

"Never write us off... Once we scored, I knew we'd get another one."

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