Simon and Smeltz strike for Sydney FC against 10-man Mariners

Matt Simon came back to haunt his former club Central Coast Mariners, scoring twice late on in a 3-1 victory at Central Coast Stadium.

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Simon, who was let go by the Mariners only to see his A-League career resurrected by Graham Arnold and Sydney FC, scored a confident right footed finish and a superb header in the last ten minutes to get a laboured sky blues outfit over the line.

It is the third week in a row in which Sydney FC have scored a winner in the last ten minutes - Arnold's is a side which doesn't appear to be keen to lead from the front.

Simon's winner was well executed, a confident finish after strong work from marquee man Filip Holosko, who also played a huge part in the opener scored by Shane Smeltz. 

Even though Roy O'Donovan dragged the Mariners level immediately thereafter, once they were reduced to ten men they would always be long odds, particularly given Tony Walmsley's penchant for all-out attack over any form of pragmatism in defence.

An uninspiring first half an hour gave way to 15 minutes of mayhem, in which two goals were scored, Vedran Janjetovic should have been sent off, and then Fitzgerald eventually was.

Smeltz had looked lively all match and his determination to open his account for the season eventually paid off. 

A beautiful back heel from Holosko gave Alex Brosque the time and space to look up and pick out Smeltz, who made no mistake with an emphatic finish.

It was a lead that only lasted 60 seconds, if that. 

Fabio Ferreira, a tormenter of those in sky blue from clashes past, left Rhyan Grant, Brandon O'Neill and Matthew Jurman for dead, before turning the ball into O'Donovan. Like Smeltz, he was unerring in front of goal.

It wasn't the case earlier when Ferreira, in superb form, slid the centre forward through on goal, only for O'Donovan to blaze over. That was forgotten with his goal, and the drama which folloed.

Another perfect pass from Ferreira released O'Donovan, and when Janjetovic bundled him over, it looked for all money that a penalty and a red card would follow. 

Instead, to the disbelief of the Mariners' faithful, referee Adam Fielding waved play on.

The home side's problems were compounded when Fitzgerald was sent off. He picked up two yellow cards in the space of a few minutes, and the second, for a shoulder charge on Milos Dimitrijevic, smacked of ill discpline and frustration.

Dimitrijevic didn't emerge for the second half, with Mickael Tavares his replacement, while the pacy Mitch Austin came on for Central Coast.

Sydney toiled against ten men, which prompted Graham Arnold to send on Andrew Hoole (for Brandon O'Neill) and Simon (for Christopher Naumoff), who was booed by the fans who once cherished him. The fact the club allowed Simon to walk was obviously lost on their support.

Without the control of O'Neill, against a Mariners side intent on throwing the kitchen sink in attack, the game became stretched and largely frenetic.

Simon and Smeltz provided a definite aerial threat which Sydney were not above looking for early, while the Mariners kept pressing high, putting pressure on Janjetovic and Jacques Faty whenever they were in possession.

Holosko missed a free header, but he more than made up for it by setting up Simon for his first, before a superb cross by Tavares, onto the forehead of the Sydney substitute, put the game to bed.

Central Coast Mariners 1 (O'Donovan 35')

Sydney FC 3 (Smeltz 34', Simon 82', 86') 

Central Coast Stadium, GosfordReferee: Adam FieldingCrowd: 10,030 

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