The Wanderers were forced to play the last 30 minutes a man down after goalkeeper Jerrad Tyson was given his marching orders for a reckless foul, but it didn't stop the club from clinching just their second win of the season and moving back into the top six.

Inspired by marquee Nico Martinez, the Wanderers finally received the three points their recent displays have warranted and it required arguably their most professional and disciplined performance of the season.

For weeks, the confidence has been brimming under the surface of the Wanderers who were bridled by their results, but as substitute Brendon Santalab sealed the fourth goal, coach Tony Popovic celebrated as if it was a grand final winner.

They had to do it the hard way after falling behind after just five minutes when Mariners' forward Blake Powell opened the scoring when unmarked at the back post.

The home fans were still celebrating when Western Sydney Wanderers' Jumpei Kusukami silenced them with an abrupt reply. The Japanese winger dribbled his way inside the box from out wide before unleashing a speculative shot from distance that took a cruel deflection off the shin of Harry Ascroft and find  the corner of the net.

Confidence turned into desperation for the home side who were aggrieved to be denied a penalty in the 15th minute when Wanderers' Jonathan Aspropotamitis appeared to have handled a cross inside the box.

It was a rare respite though from the consisting and constricting pressure of the Wanderers who were suffocating the youthful Mariners' side deep into their own half. There was only so much the hosts could handle before breaking and Western Sydney put their season back on track through their marquee.

When Nico Martinez momentarily abandoned his role as the Wanderers' attacking architect it was only to assume the position as their target man, and the shortest man on the field struck the back of the net with a powerful header half an hour into the match.

While the Mariners lacked experience, they had an abundance of pace and their speed on the counter appeared their best weapon. They should have drawn level five minutes before the break when Roy O'Donovan was found inside the box by Connor Pain but his close-range finish bounced back into play from the woodwork and Adam Berry's follow-up rattled the scoreboard but had no influence on the scoreline.

For all the Mariners' impressive play off the counter in the first half, their hopes of clawing themselves back into the contest were dashed immediately after the restart. Former Western Sydney youth player Jake McGing gave his old club something to celebrate when he turned the ball into his own net from a dangerous cross.

The Wanderers began to relax, much to the frustration of Popovic who grew increasingly agitated with their lethargy. A lead that felt so comfortable for the Wanderers became one riddled with nerves for the final 30 minutes when Wanderers goalkeeper Jerrad Tyson made a reckless challenge on the Mariners' Trent Buhagiar who was through on goal. Referee Kris Griffith-Jones had no option but give Tyson his marching orders, leaving the Wanderers with 10 men for the final half hour. The Wanderers protested however and their coach later was baffled with the decision.

"I wasn't sure - from where I was - even if it was a foul," Popovic said. "I expected a yellow card at worst when he pulled the player aside. To see a red, I was shocked."

The numerical advantage may have given the Mariners a glimmer of hope but instead it brought the best out of the Wanderers who became a professional, defensive shell. When they attacked, they did so with speed on the break which is how substitute Brendon Santalab sealed the impressive win, latching on to a Scott Neville cross to slot their fourth goal from close range.

It was an abrupt end to the Mariners recent revival though their coach Paul Okon was proud of the youngsters who faced one of the A-League's biggest clubs.

"If you take out Roy O'Donovan today I think the average age was 21," Okon said.  "We had two boys born in '97 in our midfield. Our back four, nobody was over 23. We had a 21-year-old goalkeeper. The club is moving in the right direction, the philosophy and the vision of this club is to give opportunities to young players and we're doing that."