The Central Coast Mariners have defeated the Newcastle Jets 2-1 in Tamworth this afternoon thanks to a Connor Pain strike from outside the 18-yard-box.
Newcastle Jets 1 (Clut 36’) Central Coast Mariners 2 (Powell 39’ & Pain 50’)
The Run Down
It may have been a pre-season friendly but the match provided the perfect opportunity for the Central Coast Mariners to put a tough week behind them.
They did just that, despite the opener to the Newcastle Jets through Andrew Nabbout in the first half.
The Mariners equalised just moments later after Roy O’Donovan took a shot that looked destined for goal but Blake Powell ensured the result with a death touch to make it 1-1.
Connor Pain created the first chance of the match in the sixth minute of play with a testing run down the left flank, his ball was on the money but there was no-one in the 18-yard-box to fire home. Pain would have the last say, his strike five minutes into the second half would prove to be the winner from just outside the 18-yard-box.
Both teams were forced to make first half substitutions, Fabio Ferreira made way for Kwabena Appiah with a hamstring complaint and Ben Kantarovski replaced Mateo Poljak.
The Newcastle Jets pushed hard in the final moments of the match and Andy Brennan almost snatched the draw with a header but the Mariners held on for an important win for the squad’s morale.
GOALS
36’ CLUT GOAL: It was a cross in from the right that undid the Mariners. A precision ball found its way into the 18-yard-box that Devante Clut flicked home from close range.
39’ POWELL GOAL: After a few early chances, O’Donovan took a shot from just inside the box, his shot looked destined for a goal but after a scrap in the six-yard-box Blake Powell got enough on the ball to knock it over the line.
50’ PAIN GOAL: Five minutes into the second half Pain looked to take the match into his own hands with a shot from outside the box. A side foot strike was all that was needed to beat Jack Duncan and secure the win, all class from Pain.
What ‘Hutch’ said:
“From where the Mariners have been previously this is a good turning point for us, I asked the players to snap something – we needed to snap the goals against or snap the losing streak so to get a win, I am really proud of the boys,” Hutchinson said.
“There were a lot of young boys there so to get a win was really great.
“We’ve had a massive week, we lost our Gaffer which hurts. It hurts when a coach gets removed and I’ve been in the change room before when a coach leaves so I know what it’s like, you always feel at blame for it, you can’t say it’s just the Gaffer, it’s everyone involved so I’m really proud of the boys and what they put out today.
“We’re going to keep training the boys until the club finds a new coach, we’re going to continue the work that Tony set in place and once the new coach comes in he can take over from there and hopefully take the club back to where it belongs.
“We’ve always been a proud club and we want to be back in the top six,” Hutchinson said.
Newcastle Jets: Jack DUNCAN (GK), Nick COWBURN, Lachlan JACKSON (68’ Brennan), Daniel MULLEN, Jason HOFFMAN, Mateo POLJAK (c) (24’ Kantarovski), Steven UGARKOVIC, Andrew HOOLE, Andrew NABBOUT, Devante CLUT, Wayne BROWN
Central Coast Mariners: Paul IZZO (GK) (60’ Necevski), Ryan PETERSON, Nick MONTGOMERY (C), Jacques FATY (Ascroft 70’), Adam BERRY, Mickey NEILL, Jake McGING, Blake POWELL (60’ McDonald), Fabio FERREIRA (17’ Appiah), Roy O’DONOVAN, Connor PAIN
