FOOTBALL –
There were challenges aplenty this week for the Central Coast Mariners in Wollongong, losing in the A-League on Saturday but making good with advancement to the quarter finals of the FFA Cup, Wednesday night.
The Mariners played with determination to overcome the Wollongong Wolves, 2-1, despite trailing with 10 men for most of the match.
The three Mariners’ goals from their two Wollongong games were each put away by first-time finishers this competitive season.
Marcos Ureña opened his A-League tally, Matheus Moresche scored his first goal on Australian soil, and Academy debutant, Harry McCarthy, supplied the winning goal to advance into the FFA Cup quarter finals.
Head Coach, Nick Montgomery, has so far given chances to the team’s Academy products in the first team along with benefitting from the abilities of his new signings.
In the FFA fixture, Matt Hatch and Jacob Farrell, both in the starting 11 – the former up the field from the latter in left back – combined effectively to stretch the shape of their semi-professional yet more experienced opponents.
A surprise red card shown to Mariners’ keeper, Mark Birighitti, in the 20th minute and the associated penalty shifted the game on its axis/
This resulted in an undesirable debut moment for new goalkeeper signing, Yaren Sözer, letting in the host’s opening goal by Lachlan Scott.
The Mariners’ headed to the sheds 0-1 down at half time.
Coach Monty used the break to reorganise his team into a more attacking, 3-4-2 formation, risking the loss of Lewis Miller in defence to make room for Ureña up front.
A 64th minute equaliser came for Moresche, a relief for the Brazilian, to settle his nerves in front of goal.
It came together thanks to the attacking pressure initiated by Cy Goddard’s pass to Nisbet in the box, his header across goal then finding Moresche unmarked on the far post – and a hard, low drive was all the ball needed to find the net.
This breakthrough brought the Mariners back into the game.
Coach Monty substituted Moresche for the young Harry McCarthy who brought high energy to the forward position.
Goddard showed his intention of scoring his season first with an outside the box, side-footed high shot that was desperately skimmed away by Wolves keeper, Hayden Durose.
Stepping up for the following corner, Goddard earned his second set-piece assist of the season, this time connecting with the fresh head of McCarthy – only three minutes into his professional on-field career – to find the exposed net by the far post.
The final 10 minutes were then a matter of holding off a late attacking surge from their NPL opponents, involving a red card shown to Darcy Madden for a reckless challenge in the midfield.
The game ended with 10 players on 10 and the Mariners making it through to the quarter finals.
Details of their next FFA showdown will be confirmed soon; in the meantime, the Mariners will prepare for their third match in eight days to be played in the A-League against Macarthur.
Scheduled for Panthers Stadium on Sunday afternoon, December 5, this Match Week Three fixture is a chance at payback for the boys in yellow who last played Macarthur to their bowing out of the 2020/1 A-League finals series.
CCN