It was 11th heaven for the Mariners, as Mike Mulvey's side finally broke a 10 game losing streak, and an 18 match winless streak that was fast approaching a year, thanks to goals from Connor Pain and Matt Simon.

Once again, the Mariners came out firing and their two finest players this season - Matt Millar and Connor Pain - combined to give the Gosford side the opener.

City struck back with a fine header from sub Lachy Wales, the young Aussie beginning to find his scoring touch for Warren Joyce's side, but a late challenge from Rostyn Griffiths with only a few minutes on the clock sent Matt Simon to the spot, the captain converting at the second time of asking.

Unsurprisingly the Mariners remain last, although now sit only two points off Brisbane Roar with five on the tally, while Melbourne City remain in fourth a solitary point above Wellington Phoenix.

"The last 12 games have been very tough," Simon said. "But every day at training, it doesn't feel like we haven't won. Tonight is no less than we deserve, that's for sure.

"(Negative) things creep in, but you get this result and it proves that we can beat anyone on our day. It goes to show, game management when you have to, you stick to plan and we'll take the three points.

"It's all about belief, winning is a habit. We've got to put it in the player's heads, it proves if you stick together, there were periods of the game where they were getting on top and you think, here we go again, but we pulled through."

Former Mariner Lachy Wales almost stole the limelight against the club that gave him his big break, but was full of admiration for the Mariners' performance, if not a little disappointed in his own.

"It just wasn't good enough from us," he said. "We were too slow out of the blocks. Second half we played all over them but that's football, you switch off and it undoes our hard work.

"Credit to the Mariners, they've been doing it tough. It meant a lot to come back here, I owe them a lot."