Roar Guru
The Brisbane Roar have picked up their first win of the season dispatching of the Mariners 1-0.
» Click here to read the full match report
Final Score:
Central Coast Mariners 0
Brisbane Roar 1
Having both lost their last games 4-0, the Central Coast Mariners and Brisbane Roar will be targeting redemption when they face off this evening. Join us on The Roar from 5.35pm (AEDT) for all of the action from Central Coast Stadium.
After a remarkable three-goal comeback in the second half against Perth Glory in Round 1, there was no way back for the Mariners last week as they were smacked 4-0 by Sydney FC.
Despite dominating possession, the Central Coast side struggled to get the ball forward and made some terrible mistakes at the back to hand the Sky Blues the win. With a week to reflect on what went wrong, Paul Okon will be hoping his first home game in charge can result in his first A-League victory too.
After salvaging an injury-time draw with the Melbourne Victory in Round 1, there was no joy for the Roar last week as they fell to a surprise 4-0 loss to the Newcastle Jets.
Torn apart at the back by the Jets and unable to find the back of the net themselves, Brisbane could take few positives from the game. With a strong squad on paper, the Roar have to pick themselves up quickly if they are to avoid consecutive defeats.
In team news, the Mariners are boosted by the return of Fabio Ferreira from injury while Brad McDonald and Josh Bingham are both promoted into the squad. Jacob Poscoliero drops out of the squad with a quad strain, joining Liam Rose and Jake Adelson as absentees.
Brisbane, meanwhile, are boosted by the return of Matt McKay following his suspension with Joey Katebian joining him in the squad through promotion. Both Dimitri Petratos and Connor O’Toole remain absent through injury and international duty.
Prediction
It can’t get much worse for either side tonight, so hopefully they both throw everything at the contest. On paper, the Roar have the edge in my opinion and should produce on the field against a Mariners side still finding their feet after a shaky few years.
Brisbane 3-1.
So can the Roar live up to expectations or will the Mariners spring another surprise? Join us on The Roar from 5.35pm (AEDT) to find out as the Central Coast Mariners host the Brisbane Roar.