Victory lifted the Brisbane team into third place on the A-League ladder and they are looking good for the finals, with a game in hand on most of their rivals.

Farina said: "It is a great win, a huge win particularly away from home.

“Both sides missed some good chances in the first half but I never thought it was going to turn out like that after coming in at half-time 1-1. We knew the Central Coast were going to come back…they always do.

“But any win at this stage of the season is a good win.”

While Sergio Van Dijk grabbed two goals in the game it was the performance of Gold Coast United-bound Minniecon that had most people talking.

Farina said: "I thought Tahj was man of the match. He was just outstanding.

"He has shown his professionalism in terms of the fact that he knows he is on the move next year. I just said to him last week when it all came that to show his professionalism to put in the effort at training and in games for the club and he has done that – it is a good learning curve for him."

Sadly for Roar supporters they don't have much longer to enjoy the youngster's skills before he moves on to join Gold Coast's inaugural A-League squad.

"That's the reality of football. The offer that the Gold Coast made Tahj, we could not fit it in our cap. It's as simple as that," said Farina.

Central Coast boss Lawrie McKinna said: "Going up one nil early and we pretty much dominated the first half but giving a goal away two minutes before half-time and three minutes after half-time really killed us.

“Credit to the boys for coming back but we should have to when we had a 1-0 lead just before half-time.

"We cannot give away three goals and be happy.

"I gave the boys credit before the game saying in the last five weeks we have only conceded four goals and defensively we have done well. But tonight we didn't.

"A lot of decisions went wrong and (we were) not marking up, so defensively I am not happy at all."

The Mariners boss said the poor defensive effort overshadowed a potent attacking display and that the loss of concentration in the crucial five minutes either side of half-time was pivotal in the defeat.

"Hef (Dean Heffernan) costs us the first one and Danny (Vukovic) cost us the second one to go down 2-1. To come back 2-2 pretty much straight away is credit to the boys and we were on top but it was the third one that really hurt us.

"It was slack marking in the middle but again a good finish and the fourth one came in and hurt us, too.

"It is a credit to Matty (Simon) for following up on two defensive errors from them to score two good goals and with a wee bit of luck we could have jagged that equaliser again.

"But we shouldn't have had to come back because we were leading 1-0 five minutes before half-time. The game should have been played out and those goals just minutes before and after half-time has really cost us."

Roar play their game in hand against league leaders Adelaide United in midweek.