Central Coast Mariners lifted the F3 Derby Trophy thanks to a 1-0 win at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday.
Josh Nisbet chose the perfect moment to net his first Isuzu UTE A-League goal of the season, smashing a left-footed effort past Ryan Scott on 74 minutes.
The win sees us retain the F3 Derby Trophy for a fourth consecutive season, the first time either side has won four in a row in the fixture’s history.
Mark Jackson made two changes to the side that started against Melbourne Victory last Sunday, with Jacob Farrell returning from suspension in place of Nathan Paull and Jing Reec coming in for Ryan Edmondson.
Whilst we were missing Ronald Barcellos and Alou Kuol through suspension, the bench was boosted by the return of Harry Steele from injury and Christian Theoharous from suspension, giving Jacko a much more balanced selection of substitutes to choose from.
Mariners dominated possession in the first half, with Max Balard particularly influential in the middle of midfield. On nine minutes he freed Farrell down the left but his dangerous cross just evaded Reec in the box.
Balard was the chief creator again on 38 minutes, cleverly dinking a ball into the box for Storm Roux, but he just couldn’t quite connect with a difficult header.
Our number six then had a chance for himself before half time, but was denied by Scott from close range.
The Mariners’ dominance continued into the second half but we were just unable to find the final pass in the final third until Nisbet’s goal.
On 59 minutes Reec thought he’d made the breakthrough, with a fantastic header but Roux was called offside in the build up.
A minute later, Mikael Doka forced Scott into a save with a powerful effort before there was a nervy moment at the other end, Danny Vukovic and Brian Kaltak with a rare moment of misunderstanding but the Mariners got away with it as Vuka’s clearance came back off the centre back but the ball went wide.
The match-winning moment finally came in the 74th minute, with Nisbet turning in the box before firing his first goal of the season.
The match winning moment from our midfield maestro! 👊
— Central Coast Mariners (@CCMariners) March 2, 2024
There's only one Josh Nisbet! 🔥#CCMFC #F3Derby #BeOurMate pic.twitter.com/PMJ9QHGiMU
Farrell was denied what would’ve been a stunning second, but the Mariners battled and held on for the win, securing the club’s second F3 Derby Trophy this season.
Jackson’s side now prepare for our huge AFC Cup Inter-Zonal Semi-Final first-leg at home to Odisha FC on Thursday evening. Tickets are available now!
