SYDNEY, Oct 24 AAP - Marconi snatched a valuable 2-1 win over Sydney United today in a comedy of errors in which two players were sent off and two own goals conceded.
Torrential rain and a slippery ground made the United Sports Centre a worry for both teams as they struggled to make ground on the national soccer league leaders.
United adapted more quickly and deserved its half time lead after consistently playing the wings and causing concern in the Marconi defence.
Marconi's Mark Babic got his marching orders three minutes before the break after taking the legs of Joe Moric, while United's Mario Jermen was dismissed in the 70th minute after striking Marconi's Buddy Farah.
Marconi had only one real shot on goal in the first half while United could only rue the chanes it missed at the other end.
Jermen missed from close range in the 11th minute followed by Tom Pondeljak minutes later before a 20th minute Ante Moric corner opened the score.
Moric pushed a short corner into the area where keeper Michael Turnbull failed to punch clear and the ball was deflected into the net by Marconi back Dominic Longo.
Pondeljak hit the upright with a long range shot and Jermen hit the same post from close range on the stroke of half time.
United should have gone further ahead one minute into the second half with a point blank header from Jermen which Turnbull somehow deflected for a corner.
Marconi drew level in the 63rd minute when substitute Brad Maloney pounced on a rolling ball and crashed it into the back of the net.
Four minutes later, Darren McDonald crossed from the left, Sean Babic missed a diving header and the ball rebounded off United defender Vince Savocca for the winner.
"We're better off starting with ten players although I was impressed with our second half comeback," Marconi coach Eddie Krncevic said.
"Maybe the shock of last week's 4-0 loss carried into the first half and I believe our half time talk was the turning point."
United, who played wide and were dominant in the first half, pushed solid defender Velimir Kupresak to the front in the second half but were mostly restricted to long range shots.
"It was a gutless second half. Some of the people didn't want to win," said United coach David Ratcliffe.
"In the second half it seemed as though they thought they didn't have to work as hard against ten men.
"We can't give easy goals away. If those close range shots which hit the posts had gone in it would have been game, set and match.