Whilst the Hyundai A-League action was happening at Central Coast Stadium our men’s and women’s academy teams suffered narrow losses on the road with the men falling 2-1 to North Shore Mariners and the women losing 1-0 to Nepean FC.
North Shore Mariners 2 Central Coast Academy 1 (Ruiz-Diaz)
It was a Mariners match up against t Northbridge oval where the North Shore Mariners claimed all three points in a scrappy affair NPL 2 affair.
The home side capitalised after a mistake in the box allowed the ball to fall to an unmarked striker who tapped it in an empty net. Our boys had a prime opportunity to equalise when they were awarded a penalty but Charles William couldn’t convert from the spot.
The men came out in the second half creating plenty of chances but could not find the net. A counter attack by North Shore allowed Mitch Smith to find space and double their lead. It wasn’t all over for the academy as Alec Vinci assisted Ruiz-Diaz who coolly put it in the bottom corner to keep the game alive at 2-1. Jordan Smylie was given a straight red right before the full-time whistle for Ray Junna’s first loss of the season.
Earlier Results:
- U18s WON 3-1
- U20s WON 3-2
"Defensively we were solid & structurally we were disciplined. Even with 10 men there was a lot of hard work & spirit."
Watch Alen Stajcic's full press conference ? https://t.co/UKgikp3uN2 #CCMFC #ALeague pic.twitter.com/JGdvTDPHbh
— Central Coast Mariners (@CCMariners) March 31, 2019
Nepean FC 1 Central Coast Academy Women 0
The women’s academy side also suffered their first defeat of the season going down 1-0 to a strong Nepean side.
After being 0-0 at the break, Nepean broke the deadlock when Lauren Gaul found the back of the net.
The women kept fighting but couldn’t convert their opportunities. They now take on Marconi Stallions next weekend as they aim to bounce back into the winner’s circle.
Earlier Results:
- U14s DREW 2-2
- U15s DREW 1-1
- U17s LOST 3-2
- Reserve Grade DREW 1-1
