The Brisbane Roar have survived a major scare to maintain their undefeated streak and qualify for their first Grand final coming from two goals down to draw 2-2 on Saturday night.
In a sensational match at Suncorp Stadium in front of 25,168, the Mariners threw everything into the contest, scoring two goals in two minutes at the end of the first half before the Roar showed championship quality to fight back.
Having built a 2-0 lead in the first leg of the major semi-final, the Roar were in trouble before Thomas Broich scored a brilliant individual goal in the 63rd minute and then substitute Henrique set the crowd on fire with an absolute cracker right at the death.
The Roar were far from their best, and looked positively flustered at times, in the face of the Mariners relentless pace.
Brisbane came into the match with plenty of reason to play with confidence, but it was the visiting Mariners making all of the early inroads.
In the opening 15 minutes Patricio Perez and Patrick Zwaanswijk both had shots at goal, as Central Coast executed their counter attack brilliantly.
But the Premiers were never going to stay dormant for long, and after their quiet opening Kosta Barbarouses began to wreak havoc in the attacking third, receiving beautiful passes from Broich and Mitch Nichols to twice test the visiting keeper.
Triggered into action, the Roar began to press hard for the opener, and Matt McKay was the next to misjudge a shot from a good position.
A pair of corners at around the half hour mark saw Matt Smith rising above the pack to create another pair of wonderful opportunities. But the first went wide and the second, passed to Solorzano, was headed from the line by Daniel McBreen.
Having weathered the onslaught, the Mariners flipped the game on its head. In the 39th minute, McBreen saw his shot deflected by Theoklitos into Smith and then into the back of the net.
And then, just 60 seconds later, the unthinkable happened, with Oliver Bozanic taking a return pass from Perez and curling a beautiful left-footed shot past Theoklitos and just inside the post.
Brisbane returned from the break making a concerted effort to play a more composed brand of football, but the Mariners continued to push the pace, stretching the Roar with their fast-running counter attack.
Ange Postecoglou made his first substitute in the 57th minute, upping the attacking firepower by bringing on dangerous forward Henrique for Nichols, with Broich dropping back to the midfield.
Brisbane had been finding a way to overcome all season, and on 63 minutes Broich manufactured something special.
Broich pushed deeper and deeper into the area from the right hand edge, threatening to pass all the way, before firing an audacious shot past with the outside of his foot past the left-hand of Ryan.
Spurred by the goal, and with Henrique providing some spark, Brisbane began to up the tempo, matching the Mariners' effort and going tit for tat in an exciting period of play.
Requiring a 3-1 result to progress to the final, the Mariners threw everything into the contest, giving the Brisbane crowd some nervous moments in the final 10, but despite the best efforts of the visitors Brisbane were able to hold.
Barbarouses very nearly had an equaliser in the 89th minute, but Ryan smothered the one-on-one opportunity.
Just as the unbeaten streak looked a certainty, substitutes Massimo Murdocca and Henrique combined in style. Henrique's shot was a pearl, and it had to be to beat Ryan, who was brilliant all night.
Brisbane Roar 2 Broich 63m, Henrique 90m
Central Coast Mariners 2 McBreen 39m, Bozanic 40m
Crowd: 25,168