Late Lauton Strike Denies Mariners in A-League Thriller

Central Coast Mariners FC were denied all three points at the death as Brisbane Roar FC snatched a 2–2 draw with a stoppage-time equaliser in an A League clash on matchday 24.

The visitors struck first, taking the lead inside four minutes. Samuel Klein finished off an early Brisbane move, converting after a pass from James McGarry to put the Roar 1–0 up and silence the home crowd.

A League FINISHED

2026-04-10 09:35

Central Coast Mariners FC

2 - 2

Brisbane Roar FC

Matchday 24 REGULAR_SEASON

Central Coast responded after the interval. A double half-time substitution proved pivotal, with head coach turning to Chris Donnell and Nathanael Blair. The hosts grabbed their equaliser in the 51st minute when Jesse Mantell levelled the score at 1–1, finishing from a pass by Haine Eames.

Momentum fully swung the Mariners’ way seven minutes later. In the 58th minute, substitute Blair completed the turnaround, making it 2–1 with an assist from Lucas Mauragis to reward Central Coast’s brighter second-half start.

The contest grew more physical, with yellow cards shown to James Donachie and Klein in the first half, before Mauragis, Michael Ruhs and Blair were booked after the break. Both coaches turned to their benches in an attempt to tilt the game, with Quinn MacNicol, Henry Hore, and later Ben Halloran introduced for Brisbane, while Harrison Steele, Arthur De Lima and Nathan Paull entered for the Mariners.

Brisbane’s pressure finally paid off in stoppage time. In the 90+3rd minute, substitute Jordan Lauton struck to make it 2–2, rescuing a crucial point for the Roar and denying Central Coast what had looked like a hard-earned home victory.

With only the goals, cards and substitutions officially recorded, further detailed match statistics and tactical breakdowns are not available. For more on the A League and full match context, visit the A League page or the match centre for this fixture at Ballaxy.

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A League Standings

Season: 2025/26

#	Team	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Form
1	Newcastle United Jets FC	26	15	3	8	55	39	16	48	W D D
2	Adelaide United FC	26	12	7	7	46	36	10	43	W W D
3	Auckland FC	26	11	9	6	42	29	13	42	D L D
4	Melbourne Victory FC	26	11	7	8	44	33	11	40	W D D L
5	Sydney FC	26	11	6	9	33	25	8	39	D D W
6	Melbourne City FC	26	10	8	8	33	33	0	38	L W W W W
7	Macarthur FC	26	9	7	10	37	44	-7	34	W L L
8	Wellington Phoenix FC	26	9	6	11	36	48	-12	33	L W L W
9	Central Coast Mariners FC	26	8	8	10	35	42	-7	32	L W D L D
10	Perth Glory FC	26	8	7	11	32	39	-7	31	W D W D
11	Brisbane Roar FC	26	6	8	12	27	36	-9	26	L L D
12	Western Sydney Wanderers FC	26	5	6	15	27	43	-16	21	L L L L