Some of us are getting treated for dizziness and light headedness from the altitude up here. It’s a long way down but the view is magnificent.

The build up to this match left nothing to be desired. Arnie storming out of a post match conference last week, Popovic being cool, calm and collected as he always is. The contrast was never more apparent from both head coaches. The players trying to stay focused and not get ahead of themselves, downplaying the significance of the upcoming match. The fans impatiently counting down the hours for the trip up north of what was the biggest game of the season to date.

But it seemed everyone and everything in power was doing whatever they could to stop the Western Sydney fans from attending the match. Firstly Cityfail (sic) refused to budge on rescheduling trackworks on the Central Coast line forcing people onto buses if they wanted to use public transport. Then a semi trailer thought it would be a good idea to jack knife going northbound on the F3 at 3:30am Saturday morning which caused lanes to be closed and many people refreshing the RTA Live Traffic website every half hour to determine what time to leave and which way to go. On top of that, the heavens decided to open up completely and drop a ridiculous amount of water over New South Wales for two days straight, with no end in sight.

All of this would not, however, dampen our spirits or force us to stay at home. It seemed the weather didn’t stop any fan, from either side, to remain indoors. No one wanted to miss this match. So big props must go to all those 18,700 odd fans that braved the horrendous conditions and sat in that continuous downpour to watch an encounter of epic proportions.

History said that the Wanderers were going to have a tough time leaving Bluetongue Stadium with all 3 points. But you have to look at the two previous encounters from a different angle to see that this game was going to be different from those that came before it.

Round 1 was the Wanderers’ first ever game. No one expected anything so coming away with a nil all draw was a success. The second encounter saw a number of key Western Sydney players out with injury or suspension and only a dazzling run from McBreen and a mistaken backpass in the final minutes of stoppage time was the difference. This time however both teams would be at full strength. Central Coast did have an Asian Champions League match midweek however which could play a part in the match.

Western Sydney were looking to equal Melbourne Victory’s 8 games in a row winning streak (albeit over two seasons). Central Coast had not lost at Bluetongue since December 2010. They had the best home record of the competition. Western Sydney had the best away record. Wanderers had yet to score against the Mariners. First place was up for grabs. How many more stories were being written leading into this game?

The march to the stadium was a sight to behold. Looking down the hill, all I could see was a sea of red and black as far as the eye could see. Thousands of fans marching together to descend upon Bluetongue Stadium. The stadium staff and the home patrons seemed a little overwhelmed and overawed by the noise entering the stadium all at once. The rain pelted down which drove the fans on to be louder.

The game itself was a tight contest in the first half. Chances were had by both teams but no one could break the deadlock. It was going to take something special, or a rare defensive mishap that would decide the outcome of this match. The second half continued on in this frantic pace and then Central Coast were awarded a very soft penalty. Interestingly enough, Matt Ryan stepped up to take it. I was informed that the Mariners had missed their last three penalties. Covic, on the other hand, had saved all three penalties he had previously faced this season. The status quo remained intact as Ryan scuffed his penalty attempt and Covic remained unbeaten from the spot.

Central Coast piled on the pressure and some sure goal scoring opportunities were foiled by last ditch defending or the woodwork. Western Sydney had their backs to the wall for most of the second half but football is a funny game sometimes. One chance is sometimes enough to win a game and that’s all the Wanderers needed. Substitute Labinot Haliti latched onto the end of a prime one touch pass from Bridge that put him one on one with Ryan. I was doing the poznan as we always do on the 80th minute. I turned around to look at the clock to see how long we were doing it for and saw Haliti hit his strike as it rolled into the back of the net. Typical.

We went crazy. Haliti, true to form, ripped his shirt off and sprinted to the travelling fans that had taken up half of the stand. This was one of the most important goals of his career. Was it going to be enough to seal first place?

The longest four minutes of stoppage time in history finally ended and somehow, beyond all expectations 10 months ago, Western Sydney were on top of the league. Unbelievable. Every media outlet is rolling out the fairytale stories, but how couldn’t you? These results are unprecedented before the season kicked off.

There are too many records broken and being created. Western Sydney now have the longest winning streak in a single season. They have beaten every team in the competition. They have taken points in every stadium they’ve played in. They have surpassed Gold Coast’s total points in an expansion team’s inaugural season. They are yet to concede in the first 15 minutes all season. They have the best defensive record of the competition and haven’t conceded a goal in 4 games. It is a fairy tale indeed.

As I walked out of the stadium I was beheld a sight I thought I would never see. A mass of red and black singing around the exit of the stadium. Every single Wanderers fan together, in something fellow well travelled fans told me, they never would have thought to see in Australia. It was a sea of people, of families, of small children, everyone together enjoying the moment. We never thought we’d reach this position this season. Just having a team was enough. Being competitive was enough, but now we have silverware in our sights.

Popa again was cool, calm and collected in his post match interview. He doesn’t budge an inch and never gets excited post game. He pointed out that it wasn’t the best of games the team had played and there was a lot of room for improvement. I always laugh to myself that his interviews have been the same all season, regardless of the result. He is not getting ahead of himself.

Now the Premier’s Plate is the Wanderers’ to lose. There are some tough games coming up with teams fighting for a finals berth. Anything can happen and nothing is over until the final whistle. Football fans know this.

For now, we will enjoy the moment that we have reached the top of the mountain. And I know the players will do everything they can to fend off those that attempt to push them off.