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The Central Coast Mariners travel to Coopers Stadium to take on Adelaide United in a clash to decide if they can continue to equal each other’s rapid downward acceleration. Join The Roar at for live scores and commentary from 7:20pm (AEDT).
In the last six games, both teams have garnered only seven points – two wins and a draw apiece – leaving Central Coast out of the top six, and Adelaide precariously sitting in fifth place.
In those six matches Adelaide have only beaten the bottom two sides at home: they skipped past the Wanderers 2-1, and they smashed Newcastle 7-0.
Removing that Newcastle game from the records, in Adelaide’s last five games they’ve scored four goals and conceded nine. Previously having the outright best defensive record, those nine goals have now made them equal best with Wellington on 23 conceded.
That particular slide really goes to show how far they’ve left behind those early season trade-winds.
The big news in the Mariners camp is of Phil Moss’ removal and replacement by interim coach Paul Walmsley. Walmsley led Central Coast to a much-needed 1-0 win at home to the improving Melbourne City, keeping the Mariners’ faint finals hopes alive at least one week longer.
The real fizzer to this match will be the rather dumb reports that United’s Catalonian commander-in-chief Josep Gombau will become rather stroppy if former Red Fabio Ferreira turns out for his new side. Former Mariners boss Moss apparently had a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ to not play Ferreira against Adelaide. Not since the time of musket duels have such conventions actually mattered, so expect to see the Portuguese strut his stuff at his old ground.
This clash will be the last of the side’s three in the regular season. Both of the games played so far were in Gosford, with Adelaide winning 2-0 on November 23, before Central Coast avenged that defeat on February 7 in a 2-1 victory.
The aforementioned Ferreira has three goals in four games for the Mariners to already be joint top-scorer at the club, so he’ll at least been one to watch. The player he was booted by the Reds for, Miguel Palanca, should be expected to take up the right-midfield position for Adelaide. This Iberian battle will no doubt dominate the commentary, and probably the game too.
Prediction
While the Mariners may be on a new-coach bounce, Adelaide United have good home-form themselves, having won their past four games at Coopers. Coupling that with their exemplary defensive record, expect to see them over the line, even if a former player of theirs might cause them a bit of trouble.
Also of note is the pitch: if it hasn’t survived the Foo Fighters concert from last Wednesday, there’s a chance that this game will be as bland as their music.
Adelaide United 2 – 1.
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