Mariners put four past Victory
For the second time this season, Central Coast has taken all three points home from a trip to Melbourne with the Mariners stunning the defending champions 4-0 at Etihad Stadium in their most emphatic performance of the season.
Central Coast came into the game with just one win in its past six matches, but rubbished suggestions that it was too defensive a team by knocking four past Melbourne, the most the Victory have ever conceded on home soil.
Adam Kwasnik set the Mariners on their way with a goal in the 15th minute before Matt Simon made it 2-0 on 75 minutes. Five minutes later, Dean Heffernan added another goal before Nik Mrdja sealed the deal.
The win, the Mariners' equal best in their history, allows them to keep in touch with the top three on 20 points, while Melbourne's equal worse loss sees it squander its chance of taking top spot.
Gold Coast United put a turbulent week behind it to retain third spot on the ladder with a spirited defeat of Sydney FC at Skilled Park on Saturday night.
Restructured after back-to-back losses, United's defence was on-song and its right side attack provided plenty of opportunities including Shane Smeltz's 36th-minute match-winner.
Kristian Rees returned from injury to pull together Gold Coast's defence, Joel Porter was reinstated to the run-on side and Steve Fitzsimmons started in the midfield as the early season hot-shots returned to form.
In Westfield W-League action, Brisbane continued its dominance of the competition with a 2-1 win over Canberra United at McKellar Park on Saturday, while Central Coast was too good for Perth Glory also 2-1, Melbourne Victory played out a 1-1 draw with Sydney FC in Shepparton and the Jets and Adelaide fought out an entertaining 3-3 draw in Newcastle.