Central Coast Mariners men’s and women’s teams pulled off wins in their respective A-League games on Sunday, February 18, both gaining three vital competition points each.
The men were up first with a 5pm game against Western Sydney Wanderers at home at Industree Group Stadium.
The women were thousands of kilometres away in Perth for a late game against the Glory.
Manager/coach Mark Jackson owas keen to get his young men’s team back to its winning ways after the previous weekend’s shock 3-1 loss to Sydney FC at home; their first loss since November.
The Wanderers are always up for a good tussle on the pitch, consistently coming to Gosford to win and bringing with them thousands of vocal fans ready to cheer them on.
Though the Wanderers were without four first team players through suspension and a goalkeeper crisis through injury, they were reaching for their third in line stopper to keep the sheet clean.
The pitch was in poor condition due to a recent rugby league pre-season match and a tight schedule of at-home football matches in the stadium.
The first half proved every bit as tough for both sides as expected; the Wanderers maintained a dominant possession as the Mariners went into defensive mode, in a good way.
Kaltak once again proved his value as a force to be reckoned with, thwarting probing efforts by frustrated opponents.
At half-time the match could easily have gone either way, though 7,000-plus fans in the stadium were keen to see a definitive result one way or the other.
The local lads seemed to have the run of play, setting up several great shots on goal through the midfield and probing the Wanderers without success.
It was in the 83rd minute that the pressure was too much and a blatant felling by a Wanderers defender resulted in a penalty that was successfully taken by Mikael Doka to score his first goal for the club.
Jackson praised his team for their efforts at a press conference after the game.
“They are a very good team but I thought our structure today was fantastic,” he said.
“The players worked their socks off and showed how physically dominating they can be.”
In a thrilling women’s Liberty A-League match in Western Australia, the Central Coast Mariners women showcased resilience and teamwork to secure a vital 3-1 victory against Perth Glory.
The win, highlighted by standout performances and goals from Kyah Simon, Bianca Galic and Annalise Rasmussen, propelled the Mariners into the top six.
The team’s spirit, combined with strategic gameplay, especially under extreme conditions, exemplifies its commitment to excellence and community pride.
This triumph marks a significant moment in the season and reinforces the Mariners’ strong connection to their club and the Central Coast region.
The win has the team re-entering the top six on the ladder and sends a signal to the other teams in the league that this team will be capable of finals football.