Central Coast Mariners look to extend their unbeaten run against an improving Melbourne Heart at Bluetongue Stadium tonight. Join us for live score and updates and commentary from 5.30pm AEDT.
After a relatively poor start to the season, including a 1-0 loss to bitter rivals Newcastle, the Mariners have hit their straps over the last four matches.
Three wins out of four including impressive away victories against Sydney FC and Wellington has propelled them up to second place.
Melbourne Heart has endured a much tougher start to the campaign, but they have shown in the past two matches why they should be in the mix come finals time.
Heart have their injury problems, but what was distinctive about their victory against Gold Coast last week was the fight and determination they exhibited.
Matt Thompson has been leading the way in terms of effort and his link-up play between defence and attack has been solid.
The performance of in-form players such as Fred, Marrone and Dugandzic will be crucial if they are to grab a result.
The Mariners meanwhile are pretty much at full strength and a return to the starting 11 for Mustafa Amini beckons.
Whether Arnold is willing to change a winning formula is another matter though, with the majority of his side clicking together and showing glimpses of last year’s form.
It will be a tough game for the Heart and with a small playing roster it could be too much to ask for the team to get all three points.
Can the Heart make history and go six games unbeaten? Or will the Mariners make the title race interesting with a home win? Join us for live scores at 5.30pm AEDT, and give us your opinion on the match below.
Whites
Guest
Compared to the Roar, especially tonight's performance, every other team is abysmal.
Rellum
Roar Guru
Compared to the Roar, both teams were abysmal
Stevo
Guest
I heard that CCM were not much chop either but looks like the dice rolled their way.
Rellum
Roar Guru
Because we played like crap.
Stevo
Guest
OMG, did we break some mirrors or run over a black cat ??? How on God's earth did Heart deserve these poor decisions ????
Whites
Guest
+1 Terrible call and the ref could not have been in a better position. After the Simon foul for the first goal the ref should spend a few weeks in the youth league.
Janek Speight
Expert
FULL-TIME Central Coast Mariners 3-1 Melbourne Heart And the three points go to the home side. Very bad decision on the penalty. And the Heart can feel unlucky not to grab a point. Game was poor in the first half, real stale. The second picked up a bit, but both teams will hope to improve their performance next weekend.
Janek Speight
Expert
90 +4' Central Coast Mariners 3-1 Melbourne Heart The crowd have picked up! As they should, it's a good win for the Mariners. They're in top form.
Janek Speight
Expert
90 +2 Central Coast Mariners 3-1 Melbourne Heart Eli Babalj. Jigsaw. Not really sure what he was doing there. Received the ball in the Mariner's box but just fell to pieces!
Tristan Rayner
Editor
Yep, damage was done by the dodgy pen call (yet again), but the first half was some awful football, apart from Simon's volley. Better in the second.
Janek Speight
Expert
90' Central Coast Mariners 3-1 Melbourne Heart Harsh on the Heart? Probably not, they didn't deserve three points. Poor pen decision which probably changed the match, unlucky really.
Janek Speight
Expert
GOAL!
Janek Speight
Expert
Central Coast Mariners 3-1 Melbourne Heart That's game. Following a Joshua Rose shot which Bolton did well to keep out for a corner. Set-piece comes in and Zwaanswijk jumps high to give the Mariners all three points!!
Tristan Rayner
Editor
Terrible decision.
Janek Speight
Expert
85' Central Coast Mariners 1-1 Melbourne Heart Thoughts on the pen? Perhaps it was stupid to try it, but I still think it's a heavy decision. Pellegrino comes on for Matt Simon
Janek Speight
Expert
83' Central Coast Mariners 1-1 Melbourne Heart Didn't really explain what happened. Ball came into the Heart box, Germano controlled the ball with his shoulder/very very upper part of his hand and the ref had called a pen. Harsh if you ask me.
Janek Speight
Expert
82' Central Coast Mariners 1-1 Melbourne Heart McBreen steps up and converts a nice pen, Bolton dived the right way but the kick was too good. That is a bad decision but, that is shoulder if anything. Surely?
Janek Speight
Expert
81' Central Coast Mariners 1-1 Melbourne Heart PENALTY! Wow. I don't know about that really. Against Germano, that is so so harsh.
Janek Speight
Expert
79' Central Coast Mariners 1-1 Melbourne Heart Corner up the other end now for the home side. But it's cleared by a combination of Marrone and Bolton.
Janek Speight
Expert
75' Central Coast Mariners 1-0 Melbourne Heart GOAL!!! Yeah. Babalj gets the equaliser from the bench. Brilliant. This should liven up proceedings. Babalj converts Behich's free-kick with a nice header. He was completely unmarked, Pastfield got a hand to it but couldn't keep it out!