Ever-patient Central Coast Mariners’ fans witnessed a disappointing performance when the Mariners were defeated by the Western Sydney Wanderers at Central Coast Stadium on Sunday, February 4.
In the first half, the Mariners appeared to lack conviction and enthusiasm and conceded two goals in the first 30 minutes of the game. The home side defi nitely missed recently-departed Kwabena Appiah, and suspended captain Baro and midfi elder Brama. New recruit Peter Skapetis was the star of the show, scoring a header for a corner within seconds of taking the fi eld as a substitute, in the 75th minute. The Mariners certainly came back from the halftime break with more determination than they exhibited in the first 45.
They managed to keep a clean sheet through a grinding second half, but overall, this was a must-win game for Coach, Paul Okon, to deliver on his objective of a top-six spot for Central Coast in the 2017-18 season, and the home side failed, some would say, abysmally. “I just don’t get the selections and the tactics; so disappointing week after week, what do we work on at training?” said one post-match facebook comment. The Wanderers’ attack looked dangerous from the opening. Early chances for Raul Llorente and Mark Bridge were kept clear by shot-stopper Ben Kennedy, who was hardworking as usual. A well-rehearsed set piece and a powerful volley from Sotirio put the Wanderers ahead in the 14th minute.
For the Mariners, Danny De Silva’s work rate was unquestionably commendable and Lachlan Wales and Blake Powell were also hardworking during the first 45 minutes. Oriol Riera took the visitors to a 0-2 lead in the 30th minute, with a precision header that bounced past Kennedy into the bottom right corner. The Mariners nearly took a goal back in the final 10 minutes of the first half, when a cross from Hoole grazed the top of Blake Powell’s head by the far post, but the Coast stayed scoreless at the break. The Mariners returned from the dressing room with an improved attitude and Western Sydney found themselves on the back foot, as opportunities kept coming for the Central Coast. De Silva, Hoole, Powell and substitute, Trent Buhagiar, made promising appearances in the penalty area, and a gutsy distance strike from Jacob Melling had keeper Janjetovic diving to clear the ball.
Okon decided to give Peter Skapetis his Central Coast Stadium debut at the 75th minute, as a substitute for Powell, and within seconds, he made it count. With his very first touch, he got behind a cross from Melling and headed the ball into the back of the net. As the final whistle drew nearer, there was still plenty of energy on the pitch as the Central Coast fought hard for an equaliser. Trent Buhagiar came close in stoppage time, putting in a curling strike from out wide, but the ball found the post instead of the net, and the Wanderers crossed the finish line with their lead intact. Now in ninth place on the A-League table, the Mariners will need to drastically alter their form and start to win games if they are to have a chance of making it into the final six.
“I thought we looked really flat,” said Mariners’ Coach, Paul Okon, in his post-match press conference. “The energy wasn’t great, then we conceded two,” he said. “I’m disappointed that we gave away two goals. “It becomes really difficult to get back into the game in the first half, because the heads drop, you’re second guessing yourself a little bit. “Then we get a response in the second half, and we probably could have drawn the game at the end there. “Powell definitely had a good chance after half time to score, and if that goes in, obviously you have more time to get another one. “In the end, we left it a little bit too late. “The second half was a really good effort, but it becomes difficult when you go in 2-0 down to a very good football team. “If we started the game like we played the second half, then I’m quite confident that we would have a different result, but you can’t whinge or complain when you do that, and that’s the disappointing thing. “We didn’t give ourselves a big enough chance today to win the football game, with the way we performed in the first half.” In response to questions about the Mariners’ now obvious lack of strike power, Mr Okon said: “We tried really hard [to sign a striker], but unfortunately when it comes time to find out how much the nines want, the numbers just don’t stack up.
“We have six attackers at the football club, and we will soldier on with those six attackers. “Peter’s goal – I think he took that really well. “We do feel like we have people that can find the back of the net, but we know that’s an area that, all season, we’ve been disappointing in. “We also understand where we are as a football club, in being able to spend what may be other clubs do for that position,” Okon said.
Source: Media release, Feb 4 Ellie Taylor, Central Coast Mariners Match notes, Feb 4 Jackie Pearson, journalist