Wanderers into back-to-back deciders

The Western Sydney Wanderers are through to the grand final for the second year in a row after beating the Central Coast Mariners 2-0.

The Wanderers celebrate a grand final berth. Source: Getty Images

IF Tony Popovic found it hurtful to hand back the Premier's Plate, then his Western Sydney side now stands on the brink of the ultimate painkiller.

A goal in each half from Youssouf Hersi and Iacopo La Rocca sent Western Sydney charging into the grand final on Saturday night, now just 90 minutes from redeeming their loss to the Mariners in last year's climax to the season.

That it should be the Central Coast who were vanquished at Pirtek Stadium simply added to the home side's sense that this year they will go one better than their debut season and be crowned as champions.

POPOVIC: WE MASTER THE BIG OCASSIONS

MATCH CENTRE: STATS AND VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

RE-LIVE THE ACTION FROM THE WANDERERS' WIN

Catch all the highlights from Pirtek Stadium where the Western Sydney Wanderers host the Central Coast Mariners in the first semi-final of the weekend.

It took a mighty contest to decide the Wanderers' passage - if the visitors looked in danger of being swept aside bya red and black tide at times, they mustered enough second half defiance to push Western Sydney to the end.

Now either Brisbane or Melbourne Victory await, with the whole of Western Sydney suddenly Victory fans for a day, as defeat for Brisbane would bring the grand final to Sydney.

To their credit, the Mariners began with intent and a desire to get on the front foot. Only a fine headed clearance from Adam D'Apuzzo, almost under his own bar, cleared a waspish cross from Nick Fitzgerald, and the normally unflappable Matthew Spranovic miskicked entirely a clearance across his own goal.

Central Coast Mariners coach Phil Moss addresses the press following his sides loss to the Wanderers.

But there was a familiarity about the Wanderers that spoke of a gathering storm. Six of their starting XI had begun last year's grand final, and another three would have done but for injury or suspension.

So their wresting control was only a matter of time, and would have come earlier had Nikolai Topor-Stanley's header not cannoned off the Mariners' bar and away with 14 minutes gone.

Iacopo La Rocca of the Wanderers celebrates with Shinji Ono. Source: Getty Images

But before the half-hour mark regular chances began to come for the home side - Mateo Poljak tested Liam Reddy from distance, then began a move with Shinji Ono that deserved a better finish from 15m than Hersi's tame shot.

On 31 minutes, the winger was not so forgiving. Brendan Santalab twisted and turned in the box to create space for Mark Bridge to shoot low - though Reddy palmed the shot away it fell straight to Santalab whose intelligent, instant cross was forced home at the far post by Hersi.

Western Sydney Wanderers celebrate their opening goal with the RBB. Source: News Corp Australia

The Mariners retreated ever deeper, but still were hopeful on the break - Mitch Duke showed power to race half the length of the pitch, but shot wide of the near post. Back came Western Sydney, and only Reddy's agility denied the home side a second with a wonderful save from Ono's freekick.

Increasingly out of sorts, the Mariners' tempers rose - Bosnar was booked for an ugly lunge on Hersi, while John Hutchinson and Iacopo LaRocca treated each other's ankles with the delicacy of a cut-price butcher.

Western Sydney Wanderers coach Tony Popovic addresses the press following his sides win over the Mariners.

To compound the Coast's displeasure, they were gifted a golden chance by Polenz's miskick, only for Bernie Ibini to slip over horribly on this wretched pitch. Bosnar then tried his luck from distance with a freekick that rebounded from the Wanderers wall with a crack.

Tired legs became obvious, but the Mariners strained every sinew to get back in the game - Rose struck a fine shot charged down by Topor-Stanley, and Duke's follow up was straight at Ante Covic.

Tensions threatened to boil over between the teams. Source: Getty Images

Desperate for the kill, Western Sydney thought they had it as D'Apuzzo danced down the left and dropped a cross on Hersi's head - the stadium seemed in slow motion as his delicate header crawled millimetres the wrong side of the post.

The Mariners soon had a similar sense of despair as Kim Seung-jong's freekick brushed the top of the bar - then the Korean's foot did more than brush the leg of Poljak, earning him a yellow card.

Finally, with 10 minutes remaining, the decisive moment came. La Rocca was the instigator and executioner, surging upfield and laying off a pass to Hersi - their one-two carved the Mariners apart, and La Rocca finished with a confident low shot into the bottom corner.

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