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A-League Round 19 wrap-up

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Roar Guru
17th February, 2020
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After another exciting weekend of football, here’s all the action summed up from Round 19 of the A-League.

Match by match

Adelaide United 2-0 Central Coast Mariners
Central Coast travelled to Adelaide in need of another upset victory at Hindmarsh Stadium this season to avoid sitting at the bottom of the table at the end of the round. Both teams failed to make their mark in the first half and went into half-time scoreless.

The Mariners did their best to keep Adelaide at bay, but a late strike from outside the box by George Blackwood put the home side ahead in the 82nd minute. History was made two minutes later when 15-year-old Mohamed Toure came off the Adelaide bench to score his first goal in the league and seal the game for his side in the 84th minute, making himself the youngest scorer in A-League history.

Adelaide went on to win 2-0, further consolidating themselves inside the top six in forth.

Wellington Phoenix 1-0 Melbourne City
Wellington Phoenix hosted Melbourne City and looked to make amends for their poor performance one week earlier. The home side got off to a good start, or so they though – Matti Steinmann found the back of the net in the 30th minute but was ruled offside by VAR.

Phoenix would find the back of the net again in the second half, and this time it counted. A Gary Hooper swooping pass found David Ball in the 58th minute. It would be enough for Wellington to secure all three points for a 1-0 victory.

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Western Sydney Wanderers 1-1 Newcastle Jets
Western Sydney Wanderers had their game called off last week due to the rain, but this time they’d have to weather the storm in the clash against Newcastle. The rain was made for a slippery match, and Newcastle were victims of that early. Bobby Burns took down Bruce Kamau inside the box, giving away a penalty, and Mitchell Duke stepped up to the spot in the fifth minute to put the side 1-0 ahead.

The Wanderers held that lead into the half-time break, but Newcastle equalised in the 74th minute through Matthew Millar. The draw was enough to get Newcastle off the bottom of the table.

Mitchell Duke in action for the Wanderers

(AAP Image/SNPA, Ross Setford)

Brisbane Roar 1-0 Western United
Ballarat would be a host venue once again for an A-League match, with Western United taking on Brisbane Roar. Both teams went scoreless in the first half, failing to take their chances, but it was Brisbane who opened their account first in the second half. Substitute Mirza Muratovic came off the bench to score in the 61st minute, and the goal was enough to secure all three points for Brisbane, who now put distance between themselves and the rest of the competition in sixth place.

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Mohammed Toure
In just his second appearance Toure came off the bench in the 77th minute and made an impact, scoring the goal to seal the game for his side in the 84th minute. It was his first goal for Adelaide as well as his first goal in the A-League. It would be a historic moment for Toure, who at the age of 15 now holds the record for the A-League’s youngest ever goalscorer as well as Adelaide’s youngest ever scorer.

Stefan Marinovic
Marinovic was a brick wall for his side, being counted upon throughout the game to keep a clean sheet for his side. Making seven important saves, it was an inspirational performance between the sticks.

Brisbane Roar
The Roar travelled to Melbourne and despite having less possession – 60per cent to 40 per cent – were able to take all three points. The win now puts them four points clear inside the top six of the table. They’re quickly becoming the in-form team of the competition.

Roy O'Donovan

(AAP Image/Dan Peled)

Who was cold?

Central Coast Mariners
The Mariners now sit on the bottom of the table after the loss to Adelaide. Weeks of poor performances week in and week out have the Mariners placed as the worst side in the league and deservedly so.

Western United
It was the side’s third home game played away from GMHBA Stadium and the side’s third loss. Having played at Mars Stadium in Ballarat earlier, Western United should have had a familiarity with playing the ground better than Brisbane, who’d never played there. However, they were on the receiving end of another defeat.

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