All to play for as Raiders and Mariners share the spoils
It was a game worth of a promotion and relegation battle as League One Men’s outfit SD Raiders FC played out a 2-2 draw against National Premier Leagues Men’s NSW side Central Coast Mariners at Ernie Smith Reserve in a great Spring evening on Saturday.
A match which had everything, SD Raiders took the lead early on before two Mariners goals and an SD Raiders red card gave the visitors the advantage. Sebastian Malfara restored life into the tie with an equaliser with 20 minutes left.
It was a positive start from the hosts who created the first three chances of note, the best of which coming through Mihael Marcic, a near post header from a set piece which was saved by Joel Wade.
The Raiders were rewarded for their start with the opener. Goran Ljuboja’s side recycling possession on the right flank before a floated Cooper Hanagan cross wasn’t claimed, Cox-Barlow getting enough contact on the header to squeeze it in sending a boisterous home support into raptures.
The visitors fought tooth and nail in trying to get back onto the scoresheet and the match as Bailey Brandtman sent a teasing ball into the box in the 39th minute but it came to no avail.
It was going to take something special to break the hosts defence down and it came right before the break. Arthur De Lima produced a moment of magic cutting in off the left flank onto his right foot. His shot picking out the top right corner perfectly and the Mariners were back in the tie.
Once again though it was the hosts who started the second half with more purpose. The overlapping Charlie Ragg had his strike saved within seconds of the restart.
Though it was the Central Coast Mariners who took the lead. De Lima turned provider with a ball from the left for Bradtman to finish after the cross wasn’t cleared. The game turned on it’s head in a flash.
Things took a further turn for the worst for the hosts with 25 minutes left. Cooper Hanagan receiving a second yellow for a late challenge on a Mariners defender and it was backs against the wall stuff for the Raiders as the Mariners sensed that more goals were to come.
Not that it halted the hosts in attack however with calls to be positive from the bench. Riley Cox-Barlow and substitute Yonatan Sebhatu both looked dangerous when coming on.
After containing all sorts of pressure with a man down, the SD Raiders grabbed an equaliser with just under twenty minutes remaining. Sebastian Malfara brought them back into the tie with a dipping effort from long range which found the bottom right corner.
Both sides were unable to find a third as the tension rose with the full time whistle approaching.
This left this exciting battle up for grabs as the two meet for the final time next Friday evening where the Raiders make the trip up the Coast in the hope of pulling off a result at Pluim Park and clinching an NPL Men’s NSW spot for 2026.
This however will be no easy task as the Mariners have made Pluim Park a fortress especially in the second half of the NPL Men’s NSW season and will be seen as slight favourites but one things for sure, we are all in for a treat for the second leg.
Match Stats
SD Raiders 2 (Cox-Barlow 21’, Malfara 71’)
Central Coast Mariners 2 (De Lima 45’, Brandtman 46’)
Saturday 6th September, 2025
Ernie Smith Reserve, Moorebank
Referee: Matt Staples
Assistant Referees: Lucy Hungerford & Isaac Riggs
Fourth Official: Ethan Zvargulis
SD Raiders: 1. Michael Figueira, 4. Cooper Hanagan, 7. Mihael Marcic, 8. James Letta (22. Yonatan Sebhatu 65’), 12. Lachlan Mcgrath (2. Ham Dongwha 90’), 15. Matthew Lee (21. Sebastian Malfara 65’), 18. Charlie Ragg. 18. Riley Cox Barlow, 99. Luka Knezevic (9. Yuto Sugiura 77’)
Substitutes Not Used: 20. Andrew Parkin, 5. Jett Mccue-Shore.
Yellow Cards: Hanagan.59’, Knezevic 77’, Cox-Barlow 83’
Red Cards: Hanagan 63’
Central Coast Mariners: 40. Joel Wade, 3. Michael Paragalli, 8. Haine Earnes (6. Jordan Small 69’), 10.. Arthur De Lima, 11. Jai Rose (13. Logan Sambrook 69’), 22. Shumba Mutokoyi, 23. Laurence Taylor, 35. Max Miller (14. Angus Reid 79’), 37. Bailey Brandtman (9. Ahmad Eljelou 88’), 38. Harrison Jablonski, 39. Harper Ryles (19. Noah Peacock 79’)
Substitutes Not Used: 1. Jared Williiams
Yellow Cards: Paragalli 26’, Wade 59’, Small 78’
Red Cards: Nil
By Justin Smith
