Central Coast Mariners 0 Adelaide United 3: Goodwin guides Reds to first win

Craig Goodwin continued his impressive form to lead Adelaide United to a 3-0 win over the Central Coast Mariners for their first victory of the A-League season.

Goodwin scored a brace and provided an assist for Apostolos Stamatelopoulos to help Marco Kurz’s men to their win in Gosford on Sunday.

The performance came just five days after Goodwin led Adelaide to FFA Cup glory with a spectacular brace in a final win over Sydney FC.

His latest double marked Goodwin’s seventh and eighth goals in seven competitive games since his return to Adelaide.

With their win, Adelaide moved into third in the table on five points, while the Mariners are second-bottom.

Adelaide made a dream start thanks to Goodwin, who headed in a Stamatelopoulos cross at the near post in the ninth minute.

Craig Goodwin just can’t stop scoring!#CCMvADL #ALeague
 @FOXFOOTBALL pic.twitter.com/N1jkLOHH31

— Hyundai A-League (@ALeague) November 4, 2018

That duo combined again just six minutes later, Stamatelopoulos tapping in a cutback from Goodwin, who was released by Scott Galloway.

While the Mariners built into the contest, Goodwin was gifted a second goal in the 56th minute.

Goodwin’s curling free-kick from 25 yards appeared relatively harmless, but Mariners goalkeeper Ben Kennedy allowed the strike to slip through his hands and into the top corner.

Central Coast were perhaps unlucky not to have a penalty on the hour mark, but Adelaide were largely comfortable in seeing out their maiden win of the league campaign, with Ryan Kitto also squandering two good chances late on.