Central Coast Mariners have overcome a disrupted pre-game travel schedule to beat the Brisbane Roar 2-1 in a controversial A-League Men clash at Redcliffe.
A 69th-minute penalty awarded to - and scored by - Mariners' Beni N'Kololo had the Roar up in arms in a loss that keeps them back in 10th position on 16 points.
The Mariners moved up to second on 26 points after securing their first win in four matches.
Central Coast's preparation for the match had been turbulent, after an electrical storm in Sydney on Thursday wreaked havoc on their travel plans.
Mariners CEO Shaun Mielekamp tweeted that the team's Thursday flight had been cancelled after a six-hour wait at Sydney airport.
The players stayed the night in a hotel, dined at midnight and caught a 5am flight to Brisbane on Friday after team manager Darren Dobson re-organised the logistics.
Mariners coach Nick Montgomery said it was "a long 24 hours with plenty of challenges" but the club pulled out all the stops to ensure the game went ahead.
"If we hadn't it would have been hard to reschedule," Montgomery said.
"We probably would have had to fly back today, play tomorrow and I think there is a heatwave coming ... and that's not good for anyone to watch.
"Full credit to the team manager Darren Dobson. He was on the phone for 10,000 calls."
The much-anticipated return to the Roar of former Socceroos winger Robbie Kruse was put on ice because the 34-year-old welcomed the birth of his second child on Thursday evening.
The Mariners put their travel woes behind them to take the lead in the 19th minute, when the Roar failed to clear a corner from James McGarry. Marco Tulio's poaching instincts did the rest.
Tulio turned villain four minutes later when he brought down Carlo Armiento in the box. Jay O'Shea converted from the spot and the match was back on level terms.
The Mariners took the lead midway through the second half when N'Kololo slotted home a penalty, awarded after veteran defender Scott Neville was ruled to have fouled the Central Coast wide-man.
The Roar bench was fuming with the decision, which was reviewed by VAR. Assistant coach Graham Harvey was booked for expressing his displeasure.
Roar coach Warren Moon was left ruing the decision.
"I know what the VAR box said. I know what they thought. I know the rules," he said.
"You can't overturn it if it has been given on the field. They didn't think it was a penalty, but they couldn't overturn it.
"Two weeks in a row now the Brisbane Roar have had a key decision which has gone against them, which has ultimately cost us points ... you'll have to ask the refs why."
