It was pretty nor was it convincing in any sense of the word, and after slipping 1-0 down at the 43-minute mark the Mariners’ hope of a fourth-round berth looked all but gone after Jaiden Culbert was red carded with 20 to go.

Enter Corben, then McCall.

Corben, as tough a defender as you’ll hope to find, punished a goalkeeping error to level the scores in the 78^th minute and keep his side’s hopes alive.

Although the Mariners couldn’t find a winner in regular time at Bathurst’s Police Paddock, McCall made no mistake from the spot early in extra-time and then thundered a second in from outside the box just minutes later to secure the win.

“They were setting up a deep block and trying to catch us on the counter, and for them it essentially worked because they had two chances – one off the post and one that went in,” Mariner coach Andrew Fearnley, a relieved mentor after the nail-biting clash, said.

“We weren’t as smart as we should have been on the ball during the first half. It was windy and we were trying to play things in the air so at half-time we talked about playing shorter and supporting the ball player.

“The red card certainly hurt but the boys showed a lot of character in that situation. Considering that situation it feels very good to come away with the win.”

The Mariners dominated possession early and despite looking dangerous out wide, the hosts couldn’t convert, their best chance coming from a Matt Hobby strike that slid just wide.

Lindfield looked sure to open the scoring in the 40^th minute after turning the ball over on the Mariners’ defensive line, but it hit the post.

The visitors only had to wait three more minutes to find the back of the net though, Marcus Swift making no mistake two out from half-time.

It took more than half an hour for Corben to equalise, something that didn’t look likely after Culbert was sent-off in the 70^th ​minute.

But, while staring down the barrel of elimination, the Mariners lifted.

A cross from the right wing landed awkwardly for Lindfield’s shot-stopper and he spilled it, Corben tapping-in from close range to level the scores.

Both sides had their chances in the final 12 minutes but it wasn’t until the fifth minute of extra-time that McCall pushed the Mariners in front from the spot, the penalty coming from an off-the-ball incident in the box.

Lindfield looked to have drawn level in the second half of extra-time but, agonisingly for the visitors, the goal was disallowed for an offside.

McCall, returning to the Mariners’ line-up this season, gave his side a match-winning, two-goal buffer with a magnificent effort from outside the box five minutes from time.