The biggest wins in betting on Central Coast Mariners matches

Central Coast Mariners, based in Gosford, was one of the league's founding members in 2005 and is often the subject of sensational stories. Despite its modest budget and regional status, the team has repeatedly defeated the favourites.

Triumph in the 2022/23 A-League Grand Final: Victory over Melbourne Victory

One of the most striking examples occurred on 3 June 2023 in the A-League Grand Final at CommBank Stadium in Sydney. Central Coast Mariners faced Melbourne Victory, who were considered favourites thanks to their experience and star-studded lineup. The odds for a Mariners victory at Morospin hovered around 4.0–5.0, reflecting their underdog status after a regular season where they finished second but with a smaller budget.

The match started tensely: Victory opened the scoring in the 27th minute thanks to a goal from Jacob Mahmoud. The Mariners equalised in the 55th minute when Jason Kambon scored with a header from a corner. The game went into extra time, where Ryan Edmondson equalised with a second goal in the 96th minute, and Miguel Di Pizio put the team ahead in the 114th minute. The final whistle recorded a 3-1 victory for the Mariners.

This victory brought the club its first championship title after a 10-year hiatus and became a sensation. Bets on the full match or extra time paid off many times over: winnings reached tens of thousands of dollars, taking into account the odds on the exact score (about 15.0) and victory in overtime.

Continental rout: 9-1 over Stallion Laguna in the 2023 AFC Cup

On 4 October 2023, Central Coast Mariners made their debut in the AFC Cup group stage with an away match against STALLion Laguna of the Philippines in Manila. As a relatively new participant in Asian tournaments, the Mariners were priced at around 2.5–3.0 to win, but no one expected such a rout. STALLion was underestimated, but the Mariners dominated from the opening minutes.

The goals came thick and fast: Aslan Sosua opened the scoring in the 9th minute, followed by strikes from Jason Cambon (twice), Matt Simon, Alam Kuola and others. The score was 5-0 at half-time, and in the second half, the Mariners added four more, ending the match 9-1. This is the club's record victory in continental competition, where they scored the most goals in a single match.

Bets on over 4.5 goals (odds ~3.5) or a straight win with a -2 handicap (around 2.0) brought in solid winnings, especially on Asian handicaps.

Sensational result in the 2022/23 A-League semi-final: Victory over Melbourne City

On 14 May 2023, at AAMI Park in Melbourne, Central Coast Mariners defeated reigning champions Melbourne City 2-1 in the first leg of the playoff semi-final. City were favourites with odds of 1.5–1.8 as regular season leaders, while the Mariners were at ~4.0. It was a classic upset for the underdog team.

The match began with a goal for the hosts in the 11th minute from Jamie MacLaren, but the Mariners turned the game around: in the 45th minute, Aslan Sosua equalised, and in the 72nd minute, Harry Poll scored the winner after a counterattack. The Mariners' defence, led by Kyle Trafford, repelled City's attacks despite their 60% possession. This victory gave them the advantage ahead of the return leg (1-1), taking the team to the final.

Bets on the visitors to win or both teams to score a Mariners win (odds ~6.0) proved to be a gold mine: some stories tell of winnings of up to $50,000.

Grand Final 2023/24: Defending the title against Melbourne Victory

On 25 May 2024, at Industree Group Stadium in Gosford, the Mariners defended their title by beating Melbourne Victory 3:1 in a repeat of last year's final. The odds on the hosts were around 2.8–3.2, given their fatigue from Asian matches, but home support played a role.

Victory took the lead in the 30th minute with a goal from Nino van der Veerden, but the Mariners fought back: Ryan Edmondson scored in the 90 1st minute, Miguel Di Pizio in the 107th, and Edmondson completed his brace in the 120th. The match went into extra time, with 20,000 fans in the stands. Bets on a Mariners win or a total of over 2.5 goals (odds ~4.0) paid off handsomely, especially on the exact score.