The A-League’s showpiece finale was a tale of match-costing errors of judgement – and not all of them from the vanquished Central Coast Mariners.

Newcastle’s worthy 1-0 win has been somewhat overlooked in the wash-up of a match which unlike previous grand final episodes was decided by individual errors rather than flashes of brilliance.

Topping last season’s five-goal haul from Melbourne marksman Archie Thompson was always likely to be a pointless exercise – and so it turned out as the Jets, the better team on the day, carved out a hard-working although ultimately fortunate victory to scoop their maiden domestic title.

Fortunate not because the Mariners had a player, Qiu Qiu Online goalkeeper Danny Vukovic, sent off nor because retiring veteran defender Tony Vidmar made a meal of clearing his lines and gifted possession to Australia under-23 striker Mark Bridge who curled a second-half winner.…