Central Coast have leapfrogged Macarthur to enter the ALM top six with a 3-1 win over the Bulls in an eventful clash at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.
Macarthur finished the game with just nine men after defender Tomislav Uskok and goalkeeper Alexander Robinson were sent off for fouls on Mariners substitute Nathanael Blair within 10 minutes in the second half.
The victory moved Central Coast into the top six for the first time since November and extended their unbeaten run to seven games.
They also extended their unbeaten run in Campbelltown to six games, five of them wins.
Macarthur, who have won just one of their last 11 competition games, dropped to seventh.
The hosts dominated early and had the first three shots of the game, but continued their recent bad habit of failing to convert chances.
Mariners coach Warren Moon felt his team didn't move or use the ball as well as he would have liked, especially in the first half.
"It was a fighting performance, I certainly wasn't happy with our first-half performance again," Moon told Paramount Plus.
"But we're confident right now and we stayed in the game and good teams find a way and at the moment we're finding ways."
The Mariners took the lead with a 37th-minute penalty given after Anthony Caceres tripped Bailey Brandtman.
Northern Ireland international Alfie McCalmont converted his fourth penalty of the season, sending Robinson the wrong way.
The wasteful Bulls missed some good chances later in the half with unmarked Socceroo striker Mitchell Duke heading over from 10 metres.
Dean Bosnak had a shot saved, but a clearance then rebounded off the crossbar. Rafael Duran fired just wide and Luke Vickery shot into the side netting.
"I thought we were dominant, we had a lot of possession, we got into the final third and we created a few chances and then to concede that way was a big blow," Bulls coach Mile Sterjovski told Paramount Plus.
Sterjovski was unhappy with the performance of referee Sam Kelly, whom he felt should have sent off Mariners Nathan Paull in the second half for a challenge on Harrison Sawyer just outside the penalty area.
"He (Sawyer) had control of the ball, he chested it down for himself and he got brought down, so for me that's a goalscoring opportunity," Sterjovski said.
"If he (the referee) is not going to give a red for that, then he's having a poor game."
Impressive Brandtman doubled the Mariners lead in the 65th minute when his shot from outside the penalty area deflected off defender Gabriel Popovic.
Caceres quickly pulled one back after cutting in from the left and from just outside the penalty area beat Andrew Redmayne at his near post with a powerful drive.
However, Macarthur suffered a massive blow a few seconds later when Uskok was sent off for a late tackle on Blair.
Then Robinson charged out of his penalty area and brought down Blair to earn his red card.
Blair effectively settled the game when he netted from close range in the 84th minute.
