The win included the first top-level goal for teenager Ryan Campbell who, fresh off a 90 minute run in the under 20s, was an early replacement for Jayden Culbert, who was substituted early on after a gnarly challenge. 

Nil-all at half-time, the Mariners jumped out of the blocks after the break, with plenty of attacking plays through midfield livewire Kenny McCall setting up Western’s two goals for the match, with a brilliant pass to Campbell for the first and a perfect corner which was headed past the Dulwich keeper by Paul Long for the second.

One forwards who was on the end of McCall’s forward passes was Adam Scimone, who said the midfielder had a “blinder” on Saturday. 

“In that position he dominated the midfield and gave us plenty of chances,” Scimone said. 

He also lauded the game Brock Logan in goals, and that of Campbell, who would have the “monkey off his back” after breaking through for his first goal after several strong games coming on as substitute. 

“The way he was going out on the right side it was always going to come (this week), he was killing it and was all over their left back,” Scimone said. 

Dulwich Hill have been in all sorts since half a side left the club in the mid-season transfer window, and have lost six of their last seven matches in NPL3, sliding to ninth on the standings. 

Scimone said the Mariners looked to take full advantage of that to pick up the win.

“They’ve been in a downward spiral since losing six or seven players and we knew they’d leaked 20 goals in the past month or so and we wanted to take it to them,” he said. 

“We’ve had pretty poor second halves all year, and after being nil-all at half time we wanted to hit them with everything we had.”

Western now sit four points – a win and a draw – clear of last-placed Fraser Park, giving them breathing room in the race to avoid the bottom of the ladder. 

However, they will need two wins to overtake Stanmore Hawks or Inter Lions FC, who sit at 11 and 12 on the 14-team competition ladder. 

The Mariners face a stiff challenge next week when they come up against ladder-leaders St George City in Orange on Saturday, and play two more members of the current top four in the next month. 

They will have to face St George without Scimone, too – the forward picked up his fifth yellow card for the season, meaning he has to miss the Mariners’ next game. 

The Mariners have been bolstered by the return of skipper Nikki Spice form injury, who alongside Logan was a key pillar in the Mariner’s defence.