Two decisions changed the game for the Central Coast Mariners according to Mike Mulvey, whose team had started so brightly against Sydney FC.
Connor Pain had given the Mariners a shock lead in the 16th minute, but Mulvey says Kalifa Cisse’s 26th-minute red card and Adam Le Fondre’s second half penalty cost them the game.
“The send off changed everything,” Mulvey said after his team went down 5-2 to the Sky Blues.
Three minutes after being booked for kicking the ball away, Cisse’s bad challenge on Siem de Jong earned him a second yellow card.
As he walked off the field, there appeared to be a heated exchange between him and Mariners assistant coach Nick Montgomery on the sideline, though Mulvey dismissed the suggestion.
“We’re a team that’s fighting for our lives,” Mulvey said. “We’ve got a decision going against us”.
The Mariners did well to hold onto their lead with 10-men until Alex Brosque equalised just after the break, but then Jacob Melling brought Adam Le Fondre down in the box.
The referee pointed to the spot, Le Fondre converted, but Mulvey was adamant it shouldn’t have been a penalty.
Melling did appear to get some of the ball, but the VAR backed referee Jonathan Barreiro’s decision and the spot-kick stood.
“I don’t know any ex-footballer or footballer who is still playing that would give that if they were in that position,” Mulvey said.
He cleanly got the ball. The VAR backed it up and that needs looking at.
“The heads have gone down, we’re down to 10 players and it’s a real uphill battle from there.
“It’s a bad scoreline, but the send off changed the game and then the penalty. That’s a killer.”