The Central Coast have finished the year in second spot after beating the AIS 2-1 in the final round of the National Youth League at the AIS Athletics Track on Saturday afternoon.
The Central Coast have finished the year in second spot after beating the AIS 2-1 in the final round of the National Youth League at the AIS Athletics Track on Saturday afternoon.
It was a deserved win for the Mariners who dominated much of the match, but it did not come easily.
They had to wait until the 83rd minute for the match-winner, and to their credit the AIS still nearly snatched a draw with a couple of late chances.
But had it not been for a mixture of wastefulness in front of goal and the brilliance of young AIS goalkeeper Paul Izzo, the margin could have been a far greater.
From the outset the Central Coast had a mountain of possession in their attacking half and Izzo was under constant fire.
After only 11 minutes his reflex save denied Mitchell Duke one on one and minutes later Nicholas Fitzgerald smashed a volley from outside the box which would-ve landed in the top corner if not for a diving Izzo.
The AIS then crept slowly back into the game, passing well but hardly troubling David Bradasevic-s goal, their best chance when Jake Barker-Daish missed a certain goal when Bradasevic fumbled a cross and it fell to him in the goal mouth.
Izzo capped off a great half in the 37th minute when he saved another powerful shot from Duke.
Central Coast then missed once more when Duke played a beautiful ball along the carpet which found Max Glanville running to the back post but he butchered what should have been a tap in.
The second half started like the first ended, Fitzgerald beating three defenders to a ball right in front of the goals only to blast it over the crossbar.
They got the goal they deserved in the 52nd minute, Glanville running onto a bouncing ball which bobbed up and was fumbled by Izzo who could only watch as it fell back to Glanville in front of an open goal.
In the next four minutes Glanville could have had two more, first shooting on the right hand side past Izzo and just wide of the goals before receiving a perfect through ball from Duke but shooting off target.
The AIS got the equaliser in the 73rd minute, defender Milos Degenek pushing up and hitting a loose ball on the edge of the box solidly along the ground and into the bottom left corner.
Izzo was again prominent late, after Duke cut through the AIS defence the ball ended up with Oates but he was denied by another reflex save from close range.
It was to no avail though as Oates had the last laugh, rising to a corner with a solid header not even Izzo could save.
Central Coast 2 (Glanville 52, Oates 83)
AIS 1 (Degenek 73)