Queensland Roar, badly in need of a win to restore their flagging Finals' ambitions, shrugged aside two disputed penalty calls to record an impressive 3-2 win over Central Coast Mainers at Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium on Saturday night.

Twice referee Matthew Breeze pointed to the spot and each time the home team's young spot-kick specialist, Adam Kwasnik, did the job; initially to hand the Mariners a 29th minute lead and later to allow them to claw their way back from 2-1 down to level at 2-2, when left a man short after a reckless two-footed tackle from the usually mild-mannered Mile Jedinak on Roar's influential midfielder Hyuk-Su Seo in the 70th minute.

The game was a far livelier affair than we have been served up in any recent matches, the last four of which, for Central Coast, had yielded clean sheets.

Here Roar not only made nonsense of that mean-spirited defence, but ended the club's proud 12 game unbeaten stretch at Bluetongue Stadium.

The visitors' enterprise was rewarded with some good goals and a happy outcome; though, naturally, Coast's coach, Lawrie McKinna, was quick to say that all three Queensland goals had come from errors, none of them by his defenders, as it happened, but by others charged with picking players up on set plays or forward runs.

Roar began brightly with Simon Lynch and Damian Mori looking to establish a good understanding up front.

Lynch got down the left, after only four minutes and, when his cross was nodded back by Mori, Dario Vidosic, later to impress with two fine goals, headed the ball just wide.

Three minutes later Stewart Petrie reached high for a Jamie McMaster cross and he too was wide with his header.

The Mariners looked intent on matching Roar's enterprise, with Andre Gumprecht clipping the ball just over, from a chance in general play, just outside the area, in the 13th.

There was also a long-range drive from Seo parried by Danny Vukovic and a Lynch cross in the 18th that Mori arrived a shade too late to connect with, inside the six-yard box

Mori went closer in the 20th. Under challenge from the ever-reliable Damien Brown, the Roar newcomer and all-time Australian top-scorer in club football, Mori, was only able to chest the ball against the far post, when Lynch sent over another great cross from the left.

Andrew Packer headed just wide two minutes later so it was rather against the run of play when Kwasnik netted the first of his two penalties.

An innocuous cross struck the arm of McCloughan inside the box and despite vociferous protests the 29th minute penalty kick stood.

A short corner, six minutes later, saw Gumprecht react well to a ball scrambled clear and he shot well, only for the ball to fly just wide

McMaster then hit a nice volley in the 39th that also missed the target narrowly.

It had been a half of great action and it wasn't over yet.

Mori got going wide on the left in the 40th minute and young Ben Griffin steamed down the right and was picked out perfectly by the veteran striker with the finish by the defender a very exciting way to bring up the 1-1 half time score.

It was Griffin's first goal for the club. But McKinna singled out Petrie for failing to pick up the runner.

The second half began equally well for the spectators looking for pure entertainment.

Mori clattered into Vukovic menacingly, as he converged on a Matt McKay cross in the 52nd and Kwasnik then headed into the arms of the keeper in the 57th from Brown's cross.

Queensland took the lead for the first time in the 63rd.

McKay's corner from the right reached the near post where Vidosic had been left alone and powered home an easy header.

Again a midfielder was blamed, by the Mariners' coach, for this misdemeanor.

Vukovic had to block another Mori shot in the 72nd which came soon after Jedinak had been marched for going pointlessly over the ball on Seo.

Undaunted, Central Coast kept going forward and Wayne O'Sullivan careered into the box in the 77th and ran into Stuart McLaren, who was adjudged to have fouled his man and a second spot kick was awarded.

After some encroachment by Mariners' players, when the kick was first taken, the shot was put away with little fuss by Kwasnik, whose penalty-taking skills have always been strong since his Northern Spirit and Blacktown City days

But Roar refused to be daunted by this and regained the lead in the 80th minute.

The ball was played wide to McKay on the right, Seo the provider.

After getting the better of the defender McKay's cross reached Vidosic just inside the area on the right.

The talented Young Socceroo turned inside and shot powerfully, but Vukovic could only block the effort. Daniel Wilkinson cleared the ball straight to the feet of Vidosic, whose second effort immediately found the net.

McCloughan was also to have a header saved at point-blank range in the 83rd and Mori again fired wide in stoppage-time but his contribution to all areas of his team's attack could not be denied.

With more home games to come The Mariners should be able to hold onto a Finals' spot, the only query being whether they can fit captain Noel Spencer back into the team upon his return from

Injury without upsetting the balance of the team or hitting the panic button after a rare home loss.

Queensland need to keep performing on the road but are doing well at this so cannot be discounted as we reach the business end of the season after Christmas.