Adelaide United
2
Match Complete
Central Coast Mariners
0
| M. Toure |  | 84' | ||
| M. Toure |  | 84' | ||
| G. Blackwood | | 82' | ||
| J. Elsey | | 70' | ||
| B. Halloran | | 55' | ||
| 40' | | G. Stensness |
| 12 | Shots | 23 | ||
| 5 | On Target | 5 | ||
| 21 | Fouls | 10 | ||
| 7 | Corners | 10 | ||
| 1 | Offsides | 1 | ||
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 | ||
| 3 | Yellow Cards | 1 |
Adelaide United will hope to put pressure on the top four as they take on the Central Coast Mariners at home at Coopers Stadium on Friday evening, 7:30pm (AEST). Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match.
It’s an uncommon Friday night appearance for the Mariners, who could do without the extra television audience. Alen Stajcic’s side are in free fall, losing the last four and slipping into yet another bottom-place battle.
Last week’s 4-3 loss in the F3 derby to the bottom-placed Jets was almost unforgivable for a side that had been flirting with a finals position two months ago.
On paper the Mariners are the manifestation of A-League’s revolving door. Players on their third, fourth or fifth chance seem to end up in Gosford and there’s no amount of Stajcic hand-wringing that can turn them in the Mighty Ducks.
Tonight’s home side – Adelaide United – are equally as enigmatic as the Mariners but have enough quality to be camped inside the top six. They’ve won three of the last five, and exactly 50 per cent of their matches this season and have a goal difference of more than one. Amazingly the Reds haven’t drawn yet this campaign, which underlines their hot and cold tendencies.
Last week’s 2-1 loss away to Fowler’s dour Roar, after first taking the lead through Ben Halloran, was another dip in their wild rollercoaster of a season that may have peaked with the FFA Cup win. They’re a mixture of youth and experience, elite talent (Riley McGree) and jobbers (Ryan Strain). But manager Gertjan Verbeek just hasn’t found an equation that works week after week.
Despite this, Verbeek should be massively commended for his dedication to blooding young Australian talent. Young central midfielder Louis D’Arrigo has been a mainstay in the pivot, stepping up for the irreplaceable Isaias.
Striker Al Hassan Toure has been a revelation at times too, and after being ruled out of the season with a foot injury the Reds found a ready-made replacement in 15-year-old Mohamed Toure – Al Hassan’s brother.
For this match, the Reds go in oh-so-slightly strengthened with George Blackwood returning from injury, while occasional full backs Ryan Strain and Ryan Kitto miss through injury. The big loss for the Mariners is target man Matt Simon, who has rekindled his career with the Mariners and will be a massive loss Stajcic’s side.
Prediction
Adelaide at Coopers should have more than enough firepower, talent and motivation to knock the Mariners off. In fact, with the Mariners level on points with the Jets, and Newcastle taking on the equally hapless Wanderers this weekend, the Mariners could find themselves in last place by the end of this weekend.
Adelaide United 2-0.
Game information
Kick-off: 7:30pm (AEDT)
Venue: Coopers Stadium
TV: Fox Sports
Online: Kayo Sports, Foxtel Go, MyFootballLive app
Odds: Adelaide United $1.40, Central Coast Mariners $7.50, draw $5.00
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
there are plenty of A League matches to come, what are you on about?
Nick Symonds
Guest
How about an Adelaide Toure XI versus a Newcastle Petratos XI
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
Have great weekends, all! See you all next time for more Toure inspired brilliance
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
Well thats all for me tonight. Another big one over the weekend, despite the EPL being on a skeleton crew again. Wolves v Leicester is a big one tomorrow morning, and West Brom v Forest in the Champship late on saturday night will have a big factor in the Promotion race.
Coastyboi
Guest
Mariners, you had so many shots at goal, what went wrong?
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
MATCH REPORT: 3 magical minutes were the difference tonight as Adelaide stormed to a 2-0 victory at Coopers. Their talent rose to the top to frustrate an industrious, but wasteful, Mariners side. The Mariners had more of the ball, more shots and started like a house on fire, but they lacked a killer final ball throughout. The Reds on the other hand have Riley McGree, who is a class (or two) above the A-League and showed it tonight. He had a hand in the approach play that ended with Blackwood’s elite strike to open the scoring, and then laid the second on a plate for the youngest ever A-League goalscorer Mohammad Toure to tap in and set Socceroo hearts ablaze. After a 3 minute smash and grab the game was over, and made the Mariners’ hope of points tonight seem futile from the beginning. Despite the result there wasn’t a whole lot more Alen Stajcic could do. Switching to a diamond for this game gave him an extra man in the middle of the field which ensured possession, gave McGlinchey space to operate in, and a front two with licences to own the channels and be fed by long and early diagonal balls. They looked a vastly better team for the first half an hour before the Reds found an avenue or two through the Mariners press. Adelaide went wide, they went long, they went to a 5 man midfield in the second half (and a back 3) and eventually it paid off. It wasn’t a pretty win, or a win for tactical genius or beautiful football. It was the class of the Reds that differentiated them from this Mariners side full of jobbers and final chances. The first goal was one of the strikes of the season. The maligned George Blackwood – who survived multiple wars tonight to make it through the game – produced a strike of elite quality. It was top bins from just inside the D to finish off a break-neck transition from Halloran to Toure to McGree to the goal scorer. It was a strike of pure perfection that warmed the cockles of Blackwood purists (to be that tall, strong and have that touch surely must come together at a higher level at some stage). The second was one for a different kind of record book. Al Hassan Toure’s 15 year old brother Mohamad turned in Riley McGree’s cut-back to break records and hearts and a few necks. MAN OF THE MATCH was Riley McGree. This might smack of Tom Brady getting an MVP in a poor game but Riley had a hand in the first and created the second, and had Mariners’ feet in the flames all night (despite the final ball being slightly off at times). Paging Brugges!
Redondo
Roar Rookie
McGree will make a huge difference for the U23s at the Olympics.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
Probably a fair result on reflection here, as outside of the first 20-30 minutes the Reds seem to have the better run. The Mariners ended with more of the ball (56%) but lacked a final ball all night and the really high quality chances. The shots were also pretty lopsided out there with the Mariners getting 23 off to 12, but 5 a piece on target was more telling. Paul Izzo on the Reds goal wasn't strongly tested all night and a Harold cross-bar skimmer was probably their only real threat
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
Heart says 100% agree with you, but I think he looked stuffed at the end there! He might only have 30 minutes of sprinting in him!
Admiral Ackbar
Guest
Blood Mohamed Toure NOW. If Eddie Thomson could blood a 17 year old Kewell then Arnie can blood a 15 year old Toure. He is THAT GOOD.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
That’ll be a slab of full strength Coopers please.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Yaya
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
FULL TIME. The Reds storm their way into a 2-0 victory at Coopers
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
90+4' - It's a CORNER to the Reds, but there are penalty shouts for Toure as Tongyik took man and ball there... Toure was OFFSIDE anyway as it turns out so a moot VAR there! | ADE 2 - CCM 0
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Just channeling the dude hahahahaha
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Toure excites me like watching Arzani last year. When’s the kid off to Scunthorpe?
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Are you mates with Rothfield?
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
We pass the 90minutes and there will be 4 ADDITIONAL MINUTES
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
This game has been turned on a 3 minute burst of inspiration by the Reds. it's entirely what they are capable of with the talent in their squad.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Now you're talking. A bit like the Jacksons or the Osmonds.