The Central Coast Mariners have finally won an A-League Grand Final at their fourth attempt, in a game marked by several contentious refereeing decisions. Patrick Zwaanswijk scored on the stroke of half-time when the Wanderers marking at a corner fell apart, and Daniel McBreen scored the sealer with a 68th minute penalty when Jerome Polenz was adjudged to have deliberately played at the ball with his hand in the box.

Mile Stervjoski had the best chance of the opening quarter, a long ball from the Mariners defence beat the offside trap, with Ante Covic stranded on the edge of the penalty box Sterjovski lifted the ball over the head of the keeper but thankfully for those in Red & Black, the ball was a whisker high. Mark Bridge then turned on the afterburners once released by a brilliant lofted clearance that found the left winger in acres of space. Dino Kresinger stormed into the middle but the cross from Bridge was mere inches from the strikers head.

Polenz's injury worry flared up when Daniel McBreen slammed into the defender. The Mariners were well on top and a 43rd minute corner proved to be the undoing of the Wanderers. After going through the regular season without conceding from a corner this was the worst possible time to have that run broken. Michael McGlinchey swung a corner with his right foot, arcing through the air. Michael Beauchamp was unable to stop the ball at the near post. Patrick Zwaanswijk had evaded his marker Kresinger and punished that failure in defence by slamming the ball home to open the scoring. In the final minute of the half, Pedj Bojic handled the ball but in full view of the referee, the Wanderers being robbed of a potential equaliser when the stonewall penalty was not given.

The penalty call knocked the Wanderers out of stride and they were unable to recover with the Mariners stacking their defence. Labinot Haliti was clearly felled in the box before the 90 minute marker but once again the rub of the green went the way of the blue and yellow, with Haliti's cries dismissed. With that the hopes for the Wanderers faded, the match ending 2-0. On another night the calls that went against the Wanderers going the other way might have lead to a different result but it was not to be.

For many however the loss did not detract from the sense of occasion, purpose of celebration, the Western Sydney Wanderers inaugural season brought to a close in the Grand Final after many predicted total failure and the picking up of the wooden spoon rather than the Premiership. As the 42,000 strong crowd filed out of the Sydney Football Stadium and from Central Station back to their homes across Sydney, I could sense a palpable anticipation at what the future will bring for the club, the players and the supporters.