League Men's premiership after Central Coast shocks Auckland

The Newcastle Jets have secured a maiden A-League premiership following a shock home loss for second-placed Auckland FC.

A 19th-minute sucker-punch goal from Ali Auglah was enough for the Central Coast Mariners to shake up the championship race with a 1-0 victory away to Auckland on Sunday.

The defeat leaves the New Zealanders unable to bridge a four-point gap to the Jets in next weekend's final round.

Auckland's top-two spot is also suddenly vulnerable. Sydney FC could snatch second position with a three-goal win over the Black Knights at Sydney Football Stadium next Sunday.

The Jets, though, will be overjoyed and lap up being presented the Premier's Plate after Saturday's F3 derby against their arch rivals the Mariners in Newcastle.

Sunday's high-stakes encounter erupted in the 13th minute when Central Coast defender James Donachie was yellow-carded for unnecessarily treading on Auckland striker Sam Cosgrove after the pair collided in a mid-air challenge.

Officials deliberated over replays for several minutes before opting against issuing a red card, saying they could not be certain Donachie's reckless act was intentional.

For now, the Jets have the ninth-placed and out-of-contention Mariners to thank for fashioning one of the upsets of the season, a first-ever win over Auckland no less.

Adding to Auckland's anguish, the Mariners defied an alarming lack of possession to mount a sweeping counter-attack that ended with Auglah putting away a sumptuous through-ball from Nathanael Blair and taking a shock lead.

Teenage midfielder Jessie Mantell skilfully initiated the attack, winning possession then setting Blair free down the left.

Days after committing to Iraq, Auglah's third goal in four games further enhanced his claims for a call-up from Graham Arnold for the looming World Cup.

Suddenly, Auckland needed to win from 1-0 down for the first time all season to keep alive its hopes of snatching the Premier's Plate from the Jets.

And it couldn't.

The Black Knights' frustrations boiled over when Lachie Brook was booked for dissent, the midfielder furious about not earning a throw-in deep in attack.

It was the second week in a row Brook had been yellow-carded for an over-reaction and he's walking a tightrope ahead of the finals.

If there wasn't enough thunder and lightning on the pitch already, players were forced off the field 10 minutes before halftime as a storm lashed Mount Smart Stadium.

Auckland emerged from the 30-minute stoppage energised and refocused — but they could not find an equaliser.

Former Socceroos goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne was called on to save numerous shots on target but it was Donachie's miraculous goal-line intervention of a 68th-minute Brook header that best symbolised the Mariners's spirited defence.

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