On Monday afternoon, football will return to Central Coast Stadium as the Mariners host the Wellington Phoenix in the Isuzu UTE A-League.
This match comes a few weeks after the two sides met in Wollongong where the Phoenix ran out 2-1 winners despite the Mariners creating plenty of chances and finding the net through Marco Ureña in a 15 minute spell that saw three goals.
This time around, the Yellow and Navy will be bolstered with the vocal backing of thousands of Mariners’ fans who will flock to Central Coast Stadium once more after seeing their team dispatch Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers with 2-0 scorelines.
For the first time this season, the Mariners will precede a Liberty A-League Women’s match between the Wellington Phoenix and Newcastle Jets and both matches are included in the one ticket.
In regards to the hosts, they come into this match following a record breaking 6-0 victory in the FFA Cup Quarter Final against APIA Leichhardt, featuring goals from six different scorers, and closing the evening with the best ever cup win for the Gosford based side, and boasting a six goal haul in a competitive fixture for the first time since 2013.
In his in-augural season, Jacob Farrell has impressed many and currently leads the league for the most interceptions (16) despite only being the tender age of 19.
One thing the Mariners are known for this year is their chance creation and with the most turnovers in the final third, it is no surprise that Marco Ureña currently sits at the top of the charts for shots (24) and shots on target (10) of any player in the Isuzu UTE A-League.
Nick Montgomery was full of confidence leading into this match having seen his side find the back of the net on more than two occasions for the first time this season.
“We are all looking healthy following Tuesday’s match but we now turn our attention to tomorrow’s game hoping to keep the run going and get a good result.”
“We look at this as just another game. We lost the reverse fixture but we had enough chances to win two games. We’ve now started to put those chances away, the confidence is flowing through the boys and the camp is in high spirits.”
Nick Montgomery
Wellington Phoenix have spent their third Christmas in a row in Australia due to COVID restrictions, however they will be wanting to bounce back after their loss at Sydney FC last week.
During the 90 minutes, they lost goalkeeper Oliver Sail to a hip flexor injury and have since confirmed that he will be out for six weeks, paving the way for Alex Paulsen to step up and take the gloves.
In their previous eight matches against the Mariners, the Phoenix have enjoyed success scoring an average of three goals in that period, however as of late, their goals don’t boast that same ratio, scoring an average of one per game in the last three fixtures.
The double header will all kick off from 4:05pm with the Mariners taking on the Phoenix, followed by the Women’s match between the Phoenix and the Jets.
Match Details
Central Coast Mariners v Wellington Phoenix
Isuzu UTE A-League Men’s MW6
Central Coast Stadium, Central Coast, NSW
Kick Off: 4:05pm
Tickets: Here
Wellington Phoenix v Newcastle Jets
Liberty A-League Women’s MW4
Central Coast Stadium, Central Coast, NSW
Kick Off: 6:45pm
Tickets: Here
