Matt Simon almost gained the Coast an unlikely point and further derailed Melbourne's week, but an equally unlikely German hero proved the match-winner, after Ola Toivonen had originally stuck the Big V in front...

BEST

Elvis may leave the building?

From nutmegs that would have made Dimitar Berbatov proud to goal-winning combinations that would have pleased Arsene Wenger, Kamsoba is a man on a mission at Melbourne Victory this year.

The Burundian native's exceptional quality and work ethic - more than a few times tracking back to make a crucial challenge on a Mariners fullback - make it impossible to believe that he was battling it out in the semi-professional wilderness until this season.

His hardy NPL days now long behind him, you get the feeling if he continues such a rich vein of form the lofty comparisons may be a precursor of greater things to come.

Competitive Mariners

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While the first half was all one way traffic, as Mariners fans and foes have become accustomed to, the second half was a much more even affair.

The Mariners defended resolutely and undoubtedly Stajcic's half-time team talk was taken on board with full gusto. Simon's penalty was lucky, of course it was. But they rode their luck with surprising skill and Jacob Melling, Jack Clisby, Matt Millar and both centre-halves were excellent.

There's a long road remaining but Stajcic's ability to shift mentality and inspire change is becoming evident. They'll take what they can get right now, but they could be doing a lot worse.

BFG hits the bigtime 

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Georg Neidermeier has been a divisive figure this season - at least when he's made it on to the park. It's always a body blow when a foreign import, particularly a less than stylish defender, spends most of the season sidelined with injury.

It doesn't help when he's a little like Bambi on ice sometimes when he's on the pitch either. But to see him snatch the equaliser would have warmed the hearts of Victory fans, no less the big German himself.

The passion as he grabbed hold of Keisuke Honda spoke volumes that the former Bundesliga stalwart isn't done yet. Honourable mention: Matt Acton's final minute heroics!

WORST

Nasty knocks and Vaseline shocks

Does Vaseline sponsor the A-League now or was a doctor just having a laugh at Jonathan Aspropotamitis? With that amount of waxy substance spread all over the centrehalves' face it's a wonder the Mariners only shipped one before the break. It didn't even stop the bleeding!

Despite the brief light-heartedness of an otherwise largely stagnant opening stanza, the repeated clashes to Aspro, in addition to a high-boot that ruled out Michael McGlinchey struck a slightly sour note to the contest. 

Had McGlinchey been fit and firing, he would have likely provided that extra man in midfield the Central Coast so desperately required, perhaps making the difference when Kamsoba and Ola Toivonen strolled through for Victory's opener.

Karacan't pass and grave hopes for Graham

While the Mariners ship steadied significantly in the second half, the first half was a bit of a shambles due to Jem Karacan's insistence on playing aimless long balls and Sam Graham's general ineptitude at this level.

First things first we obviously hold our imports to higher standards. But it's not that the Sheffield United loanee isn't talented, it's just he's not A-League quality and those little mistakes and moments of madness make this fact a lot more indisputable.

Staj's banking the wrong currency

Staj's two banks of four in a 4-4-1-1 formation don't exactly make for exciting viewing. The space between players adds to this problem, as transitioning becomes incredibly difficult due to the isolation of the Mariners' forward line. 

It's an easy tactic to disect, as you can see Stajcic is trying to build from the ground up. Considering they almost etched out a draw with one of the leagues powerhouses, it's hard to argue with his logic.

But this is a club with no threat of relegation, an owner who famously said he wouldn't judge his coach by their results and with very few fans left to lose.

Sure, he has to gain results to secure his position, but there's no harm in pushing the boundaries a little more. Had Victory been on their A-game, the match would have likely been out of sight before the second half fightback anyway...