Roar fight back to draw with Mariners
Brisbane have come from behind twice in the second half to secure a 3-3 draw and extend Central Coast’s A-League win-less run to a club record 11 games.
The Roar had the better of the opening 45 minutes but did not have the lead until the final minute of the first half at Central Coast Stadium, when Jean Carlos Solorzano, who scored a double, made the most of his luck to break his drought in front of goal.
The Costa Rican striker had time and space in the penalty area after a deflected shot fell perfectly for him in the 45th minute and he struck truly for his first A-League goal since January 2011.
The Mariners survived a close-range free kick in the 50th minute after a controversial back-pass call before they equalised in the 56th.
Veteran centre-back Eddy Bosnar, back in the first team after an injury to Michael Neill, was then the unlikely hero for the hosts, heading home a cross from Anthony Caceres for his second A-League goal.
Momentum was with the hosts and they took the lead through Matt Simon and a goal-mouth scramble in the 63rd minute.
Simon was gifted the tap-in goal after Jamie Young made two reflex blocks and the Roar failed to clear the ball.
Brisbane were back on level terms eight minutes later when towering centre-back James Donachie scored with a deflected header from a corner.
The Mariners were celebrating again in the 80th minute when substitute Kim Seung-yong hit an open net after a shot from Simon was blocked into his path to make it 3-2.
But again Central Coast’s excitement was short-lived as Solorzano provided the final equaliser, scoring off a Daniel Bowles cross in the 82nd minute.
The result lifted the defending champions to 11 points, two points outside the top six, and left the Mariners on just eight from 12 games.