The Central Coast Mariners are looking to close out the regular season with a victory over their neighbours Newcastle Jets in the latest instalment of the F3 Derby.
It will be the second meeting between these two sides after they met in Newcastle two weeks prior when the Mariners raced out to a three-goal lead before being pegged back to 3-2. Garang Kuol would score the goal which sealed the evening and sent the Mariners fans into raptures at McDonald Jones Stadium.
The hosts come into this game hunting 4th spot on the Isuzu UTE A-League ladder which would guarantee them a home elimination final but first they need to get maximum points from their closest rivals and hope that Adelaide don’t win against Western United. The lowest position the Mariners can finish is sixth which would see them face off against the third-place team next Saturday night, however that would require a Mariners loss and Wellington Phoenix to leapfrog the only NSW representative in finals on the table.
With many permutations of finals football still to play out, the action on the field is sure to bring the action that the fans want to see in a classic derby match and if the last encounter is anything to go by, it certainly should not disappoint.
The Mariners hold the best overall record between the two sides after they ousted the Jets in the previous meeting, putting them ahead in wins and goals difference.
In Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Brisbane Roar, the Mariners were forced to play the last ten minutes with ten men after Dan Hall went down injured and was unable to continue. Upon reflection, his injury isn’t as serious as initially thought but he will miss this weekend’s clash as a precaution.
Nick Montgomery also addressed Jacob Farrell’s suspension after he picked up his 8th yellow card of the season in Redcliffe and what that means for the squad this weekend.
“Jacob has had such a great season this year but I think that this suspension comes at a good time as he has had a heavy schedule and he can do with a break from playing heading into finals.”
“Momentum is momentum. Being on a run these last twelve or so games doesn’t mean anything going into these last few games. It’s a home game so we are hoping for a big crowd and we are looking forward to putting on a performance.”
Béni Nkololo also spoke about the derby and how he is enjoying his football Down Under.
“Now we’ve found the mix between the team. We play good together and we are enjoying playing together.”
As the season comes to a close, Newcastle Jets will be aiming to spoil the Mariners finals party and prevent them from climbing the table. There is set to be fireworks on the field and you don’t want to miss any of the action this Saturady from Central Coast Stadium.
Match Details
Central Coast Mariners v Newcastle Jets
F3 Derby
Isuzu UTE A-League MW10
Saturday 7th May 2022
7:45pm AEST Kick Off
6:15pm AEST Gates Open
Central Coast Stadium, Central Coast, NSW
Broadcast Live on Paramount+
Click Here for tickets
