- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The Central Coast Mariners have kept their finals hopes alive with a shock 2-0 win on the road against the Western Sydney Wanderers.
» Click here to read the full match report
Final score
Western Sydney Wanderers 0
Central Coast Mariners 2
The Central Coast Mariners and Western Sydney Wanderers are both full of confidence after convincing wins which makes for a crucial clash this Sunday in the race for finals football at Spotless Stadium. Join The Roar for live scores and a blog from 5pm AEDT.
After downing Adelaide United and securing back-to-back wins for the first time as Mariners’ Head Coach, Okon is hungry for a hat-trick of wins that would see his team move to just two points out of the top six.
Key man Fabio Ferreira has finally hit top form for the Mariners, bagging two goals in two games to aid the Mariners race to the finals.
The Portuguese winger is important in the Mariners’ ability to counter-attack, with the flamboyant winger drifting out wide and making penetrating runs through the middle, he has become a handful for defenders in the second half of this season.
With these runs being made it allows fellow wingers Trent Buhagiar and Connor Pain the space to be able to make runs in behind as Ferreira drags defenders away. We saw Ferreira do this many times against Perth Glory in Round 17.
Some more attacking flair returns for The Mariners as Blake Powell returns from injury. The midfielder scored last time the Mariners faced off with the Wanderers in their 4-1 loss at home in Round 9 and has become a bogey player against the Wanderers away from home, scoring four goals in a 4-1 win for Wellington last season.
Sydney’s West is set for a scorching few days of hot temperatures which adds to the challenge of facing the Wanderers at Spotless Stadium.
In Round 4 the Mariners travelled to Spotless Stadium for the first time in an end-to-end match that saw them fight from a goal down to draw 1-1 thanks to Adam Berry’s maiden Hyundai A-League goal. The Wanderers head back to Spotless Stadium with the boost of a 3-1 win away to Wellington last week.
War horse Mitch Nichols returns to the line-up after being sidelined with a suspension. The attacking midfielder has arguably been the Wanderers’ most important player this season, as he maintains the most distance travelled in the entire team with an average of ten kilometres travelled a match.
Add to that his ability to come up with a goal-creating chance or the goal-scoring prowess himself and it’s all guns blazing, the Wanderers heading into the finals with Nichols in their side.
The Wanderers did exceptionally well last week in getting in behind, taking the ball to the by-line where Wellington were incapable of stopping cutbacks. The Mariners have a similar problem and we have seen them concede many times this way.
Brendan Santalab scored twice and assisted another last week, that talent should be on show again along with Nico Martinez, Santalab is a shoe-in to have a contribution.
Something has to give in this contest – either the Mariners will snap a four-game losing run away from home or the Wanderers will post their first win at their makeshift home venue at Olympic Park.
Or perhaps nothing will give, and these two in-form sides will play out a draw – something not at all unfamiliar with the Wanderers this season. I’m predicting a scoring draw and Brendan Santalab to score.
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.