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Preview: Mariners v Brisbane

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It’s time for some Friday night football in Gosford that sees the Mariners host Brisbane Roar at Central Coast Stadium. Kick-off is 7:50pm.

It’s a crucial match up for both teams who are desperate to make a late charge up the Hyundai A-League ladder, starting with a win over their rivals.

For the Mariners, a win would see them triumph over Brisbane for the first time at home since 2013 – a streak they are eager to end.

The Mariners will be buoyed by a 1-1 draw away from home against Sydney FC whilst Brisbane will be looking to bounce back from their 4-0 loss to Perth Glory.

Mulvey in the media
Click here to view Mike Mulvey’s full press conference

The battle against Brisbane…
“It’s a very important game,” Mulvey said. “It’s an opportunity to build on what we did last week against Sydney and last time we played Brisbane. We’ve improved from the first time we played them back in the opening game of the season. What was missing was the finishing touch and we probably should have won 1-0. We conceded a goal from a set piece the last time we played them, which we weren’t happy about, so we want to build on last week and this is an opportunity to do so.

Recent form…
“The most important thing is that we concentrate on ourselves. If we have our game down pat than we will be okay. We’ve got a lot of quality in the team. We’ve stopped the individual mistakes and the errors we were making earlier in the season and we are improving in that regard. What’s missing right now is getting the results on the board so tomorrow is a fantastic opportunity to do that. It won’t be easy, they’re a tough team, they have pride, but we need to go for the jugular.

Tommy Oar and Hiariej’s injuries…
“When Tommy Oar arrived earlier in the season, he was still under an injury cloud from his previous club. When we got him fit, he suffered another injury, now he’s copped another injury. It’s very unfortunate for him because he was looking very good in training and in the games, he has played, he really brought a spark to us and he has that knack of running in behind.

“Tom Hiariej once again is injured. Ever since I arrived, he seems to have suffered an injury which has hampered him which is a great shame as he is a wonderful talent. He’s got great quality, he can improve in his defensive demeanour, but he has succumbed to another injury at training. You want your Visa players available all the time, but he is out and now it’s someone else’s opportunity.”

Jem Karacan fitting in…
“Jem is a consummate professional, he has played in the Premier League and Championship. He has great professional pride and he has bought something to the team that was missing particularly in the middle of the park in regards to leadership, understanding about tracking players. He has brought that level of intensity and scrutiny and we are questioning our assumptions, which is always a good thing to do.

The dynamic Sheffield duo…
“Stephen and Sam have settled in quite well, I think they played well last week. Sam was like a rock at the back, for an 18-year-old he shows a great deal of composure, strength and maturity. You can see with Stephen glimpses of what kind of player he is going to be. Sydney was his first start in senior football, and you can see there is a lot of promise. They have added to our squad and we are very happy to have them here.

The importance of a result against Brisbane…  
“It’s vital, the season has not panned out how we wanted to but since the turn of the year a couple of moments of real optimism with performances and results against City at home and Brisbane, we had a draw with Sydney last week and now we have to give our fans something to cheer about. That’s the aim, I’ve said before, it’s quite embarrassing as staff and players to walk around the Coast because we want to give the fans something to cheer about. We have a great opportunity tomorrow night and I urge all the fans to come out and give us the fantastic support they do give us and more so tomorrow night,” Mulvey said.

Squad lists

Central Coast Mariners squad: 1.Ben KENNEDY (gk), 2.Jonathan ASPROPOTAMITS, 3.Jack CLISBY, 7.Andrew HOOLE, 8.Michael McGLINCHEY, 11.Connor PAIN, 13.Aiden O’NEILL, 15.Kye ROWLES, 18.Matt MILLAR, 19.Matt SIMON (c), 22.Jacob MELLING, 23.Mario SHABOW, 24.Joe GAUCI (gk), 25.Jordan MURRAY, 28.Sam GRAHAM, 29.Stephen MALLON, 68.Jem KARACAN
**two to be omitted**

Ins: 15.Kye ROWLES (return from suspension), 23.Mario SHABOW (return from injury), 24.Joe GAUCI (gk) (promoted), 25.Jordan MURRAY (promoted) 

Outs: 6.Tom HIARIEJ (groin injury) 10.Tommy OAR (knee inury), 12.Adam PEARCE (gk) (omitted)

Unavailable: 21.Corey GAMEIRO (calf) & 4.Jake McGING (hamstring)

Brisbane Roar FC squad: 1.Brendan WHITE (gk), 2.Dane INGHAM, 4.Daniel BOWLES, 7.Thomas KRISTENSEN, 8.Jacob PEPPER, 11.Eric BAUTHEAC, 12.Ruon TONGYIK, 14.Alex LOPEZ, 15.Stefan NIGRO, 16.Charles LOKOLI-NGOY, 17.Matt MCKAY (c), 21.Jamie YOUNG, 22.Tobias MIKKELSEN, 23.Dylan WENZEL-HALLS, 26.Nicholas D’AGOSTINO, 33.HENRIQUE, 36.Daniel LECK, 38.Izaack POWELL
**two to be omitted**

Ins: 7.Thomas KRISTENSEN (returns from injury), 14 Alex LOPEZ (returns from suspension), 16.Charles LOKOLI-NGOY (promoted), 21.Jamie YOUNG (returns from suspension), 38.Izaack POWELL (promoted)

Outs: 18.Joe CALETTI (not selected), 31.Macklin FREKE (not selected), 35.Jay BARNETT (not selected)

Unavailable: 3.Luke DEVERE (knee),10.Brett HOLMAN (knee), 13.Stefan MAUK (groin), 19.Jack HINGERT (knee), 24.Connor O’Toole (broken leg)

Opta Stat Attack

  • Brisbane Roar are undefeated in their last 14 A-League games against the Mariners, only twice in A-League history has any team gone longer without defeat against another
  • The last time the Mariners beat Brisbane at Central Coast Stadium was in 2013
  • The Mariners have scored in all but one of their last 14 games at home, however they’ve won just two in that span
  • Brisbane have conceded four goals in each of their last two A-League games away from home and are yet to pick up a win away from home this season
  • The Mariners and Brisbane have conceded five penalties this season, more than any other team in the competition
  • Brisbane have conceded more yellow cards (51) and more red cards (5) than any other team this season
  • Jacob Melling has a dribble success rate of 81% this A-League season, the best of any player to have attempted at least 10 dribbles
  • Henrique has scored seven goals against the Mariners, only against Perth Glory has he scored more

Match Details
Hyundai A-League Round 20
Friday, 22 February 2019
Match: Central Coast Mariners vs. Brisbane Roar
Venue: Central Coast Stadium, Gosford
Kick-off: 7:50pm (AEDT)
Tickets: CLICK HERE
TV Broadcast: Live coverage on FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA
Hash-tag: Join the match conversation using #CCMvBRI & #CCMFC

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