The Mariners head to Canberra Stadium this Saturday to take on Adelaide United, two months after marking the first ever Hyundai A-League match in the city with a 2-1 win over Perth.

Wilkinson, and Matt Simon were the goalscorers on that occasion, and the skipper would love to see history repeat.

“(I scored my) first A-League goal in Canberra which was nice, but I’d take a goal anywhere!," Wilkinson said.

“I was pretty happy about it, so if I can grab another one that would be fantastic, but more importantly it’s a very important game for us after our loss (2-1 to Newcastle) on the weekend. Adelaide are only one point behind us, and after the three bottom teams all won, the table is very tight again."

Both sides are coming off the back of losses to their biggest rivals, Adelaide United lost for the eighth successive time against their 2006/07 grand final conqueror Melbourne Victory, while the Central Coast succumbed 2-1 to F3 rivals Newcastle Jets.

Wilkinson admits it is tough to reflect on what could have been against their arch-enemy.

“In a way the two goals were both pretty soft in our opinion," he said.

"Obviously the first goal was a good finish but it probably shouldn’t have got there in the first place. We should have stopped it a lot higher up the pitch. The second one was from a free kick which was pretty lucky, it bounced off a few sets of legs and fell straight to their striker.

“In that regard we’re disappointed, it would have been different if they scored two 30-yard screamers but all in all we’ve been doing quite well defensively so far, so if we can continue that we will be all right."

With just 10 points separating first placed Sydney FC and bottom side North Queensland Fury on the Hyundai A-League ladder, Wilkinson is aware of just how important three points will be in the nation’s capital, as his side looks to find some much needed consistency.