Is this the most BIZARRE trophy in sport? Central Coast Mariners beat Newcastle Jets in the F3 Derby

Central Coast Mariners have got their hands on arguably the strangest trophy in sport after hoping to win the F3 derby in the final against arch rivals Newcastle Jets.

The Mariners and Jets are separated by a stretch of the F3 highway – now known as the M1 – and a unique trophy has been created to be lifted by the team that earns F3 Derby boast each season. Last year it was the Mariners who were victorious as they won all three of their games against the Jets.

And Central Coast came out on top again this season, with their 3-1 win at McDonald Jones Stadium meaning they’ve won two of their three games against their arch-rivals this campaign.

Nick Montgomery’s squad thus remains the owners of one of the sport’s most bizarre trophies, with the prize made from concrete sourced from the M1 motorway.

But the absence of the concrete trophy won’t sting as much as the realization that the Jets probably won’t play in the Finals this season.

To make it to the Jets’ final, they need to comfortably beat Sydney FC in the final round of the regular season and hope Wellington loses big to 11th-placed Macarthur, who have won just one of their past eight games.

The Jets’ inferior goal difference will rule them out of the postseason if the two margins are close, and even if both fall their way, they also have to hope that eighth-placed Western United lose at least one of their last two games.

After struggling to contain an early offensive attack by the Jets, the Mariners took the lead for the first time in the 58th minute when Samuel Silvera completed a brace.

“To do it in a derby like that was pretty good,” Silvera told Paramount+.

“It’s even better against my old team.”

Trailing 2–1, Newcastle were thwarted in their pursuit of an equalizer when Brandon O’Neill received a second yellow card for his challenge on Silvera.

O’Neill was the Jets’ hero in the Bulls’ defeat last week and his side appeared bereft of answers as he was forced off the field with half an hour left.

The 10-man Jets were officially out of the game after Marco Tulio tapped away the easiest goals in the 69th minute.

“Fantastic win for us. If anything, I’m disappointed there weren’t more goals scored at the end,” Mariners coach Nick Montgomery told Paramount+.

“I thought they argued for 20 minutes, and then it was a one-way street.”

The loss threatens Newcastle to miss finals for the 14th time in 15 seasons.

The Mariners, meanwhile, may begin to consider an automatic berth in the semi-finals after tying with second-placed Western Sydney Wanderers and third-placed Adelaide United on 41 game points.

Central Coast will still rely on other results coming their way this weekend to record second place and their best result of a regular season since their Championship winning campaign of 2012/13.

Newcastle had the best of the opening changes, drawing first blood through Jaushua Sotirio.

Mariners goalkeeper Danny Vukovic deflected Sotirio’s first shot from close range, but the Jets forward couldn’t be denied from the ensuing corner.

He snuck behind the peloton to make up for a Beka Mikeltadze header in the ninth minute.

Central Coast were patient and equalized when Nectar Triantis hit the ball its way up to Silvera on the left wing.

Flirting with the boundary, the former Jet defeated Thomas Aquilina in a one-on-one match before sinking the ball into the far corner of the net.

His second goal came from close range, assisted by Tulio, who was inexplicably open in the penalty area as he stabbed what appeared to be the Jets’ final dagger in the season.

Englishman Carl Jenkinson was shown a straight red card for a hands-heavy challenge on Mariners striker Jason Cummings, which made things even worse for the Jets in the final minutes.