Duarte’s Late Heroics Lift Mariners Past Newcastle in Five-Goal Opener at polytec Stadium
The A-League’s return delivered on every promise of drama as the Central Coast Mariners snatched a 3-2 victory over Newcastle Jets—a fierce regional rivalry revived in its purest, wildest form. On a spring evening at polytec Stadium, it was Nicholas Duarte’s 90th-minute winner that ensured the Mariners opened their campaign in fourth place, while the Jets were left to rue late heartbreak and settle for a familiar, frustrating script.
The tone was set early, as both sides—eager to erase off-season stumbles and reestablish their place in a league reset by ambitions old and new—displayed a pace and purpose that belied any semblance of opening day jitters. The Jets, riding a string of positive Australia Cup results but still chasing domestic consistency, struck first. Alexander Badolato, whose sharpness has been a pre-season talking point, darted in from the wing and finished past the Mariners’ keeper in the 14th minute. For a team that had netted 13 goals across their last five Cup outings, the confidence was visible and justified.
Yet there was little hint of resignation from a Mariners outfit keen to distance themselves from a preseason loss to Brisbane Roar. Their answer came via precision and poise: Alfie McCalmont drew the match level from the penalty spot in the 28th, converting with assurance after a clumsy challenge in the box. The crescendo at polytec Stadium was barely subsiding when, two minutes later, the youthful Miguel Di Pizio capped a sweeping move with a thumping finish. Suddenly the Mariners had flipped the deficit, and the Jets—whose defensive vulnerability has been an enemy as persistent as their local rivals—were again playing catchup.
For all the attacking verve, what followed was a nervous, combustible middle passage—a phase defined by near-misses, crunching tackles, and the unmistakeable undercurrent of Derby tension. The referee kept his cards pocketed, and the match teetered on a knife’s edge, each attack threatening to tip it decisively.
It was not until the 80th minute that the Jets found the breakthrough they so desperately sought. Lachlan Rose, ever the opportunist, found space amidst a penalty-area scramble and thundered the ball home, silencing the home fans and breathing new hope into the Newcastle contingent. At 2-2, the match seemed destined for a split share—an outcome that would have mirrored both teams’ cautious optimism as the season dawned.
But the Mariners had one last twist planned. As the clock edged toward stoppage time, substitute Nicholas Duarte—a player with a reputation for late interventions—rose above the Jets defenders to meet a pinpoint cross, steering the ball past the outstretched arms of the Newcastle keeper and into the net. The stadium erupted, a season’s worth of anticipation unleashed in a single, cathartic moment.
For Central Coast, this was a win imbued with symbolic weight. Beginning the A-League season in fourth place, the Mariners cast off the shadows of last year’s inconsistency and signaled a renewed intent to challenge Australia’s best. McCalmont and Di Pizio’s first-half goals underscored a tactical confidence that augurs well for the weeks ahead, while Duarte’s late strike demonstrated the kind of mental resilience that has so often been the difference in this storied rivalry.
Newcastle, meanwhile, find themselves in eighth—a position explained less by their recent cup form and more by their inability to close out matches that matter most. Despite an encouraging Australia Cup run, and with a still-untested league table, the Jets must look inward if they are to translate their cup momentum into league points. Badolato’s opener and Rose’s equalizer offered flashes of attacking promise, but familiar defensive frailties cost them dearly in the dying moments.
The head-to-head history between these two has always been tight, and this contest added another richly colored page to the narrative. Matches between Central Coast and Newcastle have rarely disappointed their fervent supporters, with late goals and dramatic swings as much a part of the fixture as the derby’s geography. Sunday’s encounter was no exception: neither team yielded an inch, and the outcome was balanced on moments of individual brilliance and collective will.
As the dust settles on opening day, both clubs now look ahead to a season where each point, each late goal, may shape destinies. For the Mariners, Duarte’s heroics offer not only three points but a blueprint for belief. For the Jets, the pain of defeat will sting—but so too will the knowledge that fortune favors those who can endure and respond. The A-League’s narrative is only just beginning, and if tonight is any indication, every chapter will be fiercely contested, heartbreak and all.