Auckland FC extended their lead at the top of the Isuzu UTE A-League table to four points with a 4-1 win over Central Coast Mariners at Industree Group Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Black Knights suffered their first defeat in club history in Round 9 but returned to winning ways in style, scoring three first-half goals against the Mariners to take a 3-1 lead to half-time.
An exhilarating first half took another twist on the half-hour mark when Brimmer put the visitors back on top in Gosford.
The Mariners had won the ball off Liam Gillion deep in defence but an attempted clearance was blocked out by the Black Knights.
Gillion regained possession and picked out Brimmer on the edge of the box who took one touch to control and poked a volley off the outside of his boot and into the back of the net.
Eight minutes later, Auckland extended their lead to two goals and it was Guillermo May who added the Black Knights’ third goal of the first half onto the scoresheet.
Francis De Vries supplied the delivery off the left wing and his cross evaded both Brimmer and his marker Nathan Paull at the front post. Mariners keeper Dylan Perraic-Cullen got a touch on the ball but failed to gather possession as May strolled in for a simple finish.
As the second half neared its conclusion, Auckland added one last goal to the scoreboard when Max Mata picked out Rogerson with a cross to the back post. The New Zealand international latched onto the delivery with a controlled volley to confirm a 4-1 win to the visitors.
