An Alou Kuol double has secured a 2-1 A-League Men victory for Central Coast over 10-man Sydney FC.
Left smarting after a disastrous AFC Champions League Elite campaign, the Mariners rediscovered their winning ways on Sunday courtesy of two superb headers by Kuol at Industree Group Stadium.
Central Coast were knocked out of the continental tournament after a 4-0 thrashing from Yokohama F Marinos last week, with Mark Jackson's side finishing last in Group A with one point.
Their win against Sydney is their second victory of the season and lifts them to seventh (nine points) on the table, while Ufuk Talay's side remain sixth on goal difference.
"I'm proud of the players, how they responded during the week after the Yokohama defeat," Jackson said.
"It wasn't about the loss. It was about the manner of how we performed in the first half.
"We put that to bed very quickly - some non-negotiables, how we work as a team with each other.
"You saw on the pitch today, from minute one right until the last minute.
"The boys were fighting for each other, fighting for the shirt, fully committed."
The hosts were given the numerical advantage in the 42nd minute, with Sydney goalkeeper Harrison Devenish-Meares enduring a horror league debut.
Devenish-Meares, already way off his line, left the box and jumped to challenge Kuol's header, sending the Central Coast attacker to ground.
The off-season recruit had been handed the starting spot ahead of preferred keeper Andrew Redmayne, who was nursing a corked thigh on the bench.
Talay was forced to sacrifice star midfielder Anas Ouahim to bring Redmayne into the fray.
It is the third time in six matches Sydney have had to play one man down.
"It definitely is a concern," Talay said.
"I thought until the red card, we were quite comfortable.
"That one moment where we switch off with no pressure on the ball and we allow a player to run through us - at this level, that can't happen but it did happen, which led to the red card.
"It's not a disciplinary issue. It's more so reading the situation, having more game awareness.
"(Devenish-Meares) will be sad for one day but things go on. We've got a game next week."
Central Coast's Mikael Doka could have piled on the misery but his penalty kick deflected off the wall and over the crossbar.
Doka had another opportunity to score when Sydney captain Rhyan Grant fouled Christian Theoharous three minutes later, but again the Brazilian winger sent it too high.
He had uncharacteristically missed an opportunity in the 24th minute, with his attempt sliding across the face of an open goal.
Kuol first hit the scoresheet in the 58th minute, beating out two Sydney defenders to connect with Storm Roux's cross.
Patryk Klimala drew scores level seven minutes after Joe Lolley desperately kept the ball alive, but Sydney's ascendancy did not take form.
Kuol - again sandwiched between two Sydney defenders - found the back of the net in the 70th minute to secure the win.
