Updated
On the attack ... Mustafa Amini makes a break at Bluetongue Stadium. (Getty Images: Mark Metcalfe)
Central Coast beat North Queensland 1-0 on Wednesday night to leapfrog the Gold Cost and climb into third spot on the A-League ladder.
Adam Kwasnik scored the Mariners' winner in the first half with his eighth goal this season.
The Mariners, playing their first of five home games on the trot, now look to be in a strong position heading into the business end of the season.
A rested Central Coast side took to the pitch at Bluetongue Stadium after its match against the Gold Coast was called off on the weekend due to torrential rain which left the Skilled Park pitch water-logged and unsafe to play on.
In contrast, a weary Fury outfit, who suffered a 2-0 defeat to top dog Brisbane on Saturday and have the worry of an uncertain future in the league hanging over them, seemed to lack firepower.
The Mariners had their first chance less than two minutes into the game when striker Patricio Perez broke through the Fury defence to find himself one-on-one with keeper Justin Pasfield, who easily cleared the effort.
Matt Simon also got in on the action firing a shot in the 20th minute, forcing a save from Pasfield.
Team-mate Rostyn Griffiths' header two minutes later also went wide.
But it was Kwasnik who broke through for the Mariners in the 28th minute with a superb header off a Simon cross to bring the 5,979 faithful to their feet.
Chris Payne came closest for the Fury after meeting with a precision pass from David Williams into the box, but fired his shot safely into the hands of Mariners gloveman Matthew Ryan, just 10 minutes before the break.
It was a more rejuvenated Fury side that took to the park in the second stanza but the side's frontmen missed a golden chance in the 65th minute when Panagiotis Nikas crossed the ball straight across the face of goal with no-one able to capitalise.
The Mariners looked like widening the gap in the 72nd minute when a classy lob from Musafa Amini found Simon in the box, who fired his shot straight into the hands of Pasfield.
While the Fury searched desperately for an equaliser Graham Arnold's men held on to take home the the points.
While Arnold was happy to come away with a win he lamented the numerous missed opportunities.
"I'm happy with the three points," Arnold said after the match.
"Overall we deserved to win the game, we had four or five really good chances.
"But when you leave it at 1-0 and you don't have the killer goal then you can ask for trouble."
Fury coach Franz Straka was a dejected man after the loss, eluding to the team's financial struggles and uncertain future as a reason for the poor performance by his men.
"This situation is not easy for us with what's happening in the club," he said.
"We also had big opportunities to score but we just couldn't tonight."
Central Coast: 1 (A Kwasnik 28')
North Queensland: 0
- AAP
First posted
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