The Yellow and Navy put together one of the most dominating performances against Wellington Phoenix during the week and will be looking to back it up against Sydney FC this Saturday during the Pink Round in the Isuzu UTE A-League Men’s.
Marco Ureña got the party started in the 8th minute as he expertly dispatched his penalty right past Oli Sail. Béni Nkololo was next to get his name on the scoresheet as the Frenchman beautifully curled his strike right into the Phoenix net. Jason Cummings continued his red-hot run of from also dispatching a penalty from 12 yards while youngsters Garang Kuol and Matt Hatch rounded out the scoring at Central Coast Stadium for a record breaking win.
The Sky Blues are coming off a big Sydney Derby win one week prior to facing the Mariners but midweek they were defeated by current Isuzu UTE A-League Men leaders, Melbourne City with an emphatic scoreline of 4-0 at AAMI Park.
The Mariners haven’t lost to Sydney in the past two meetings played out at Central Coast Stadium. The Yellow and Navy last played the Sky Blues at Central Coast Stadium in December of last year and it was Ureña and an own goal from former Mariners midfielder Anthony Caceres that gave Central Coast Mariners a 2-0 win.
READ MORE: SIMONE ROWLES: ONE YEAR ON
WATCH MORE: KYE ROWLES | BEFORE THE 90′ – ISUZU UTE A-LEAGUE MW23
Speaking to media prior to the game, Nick Montgomery was positive of the results his team can achieve.
“Everybody wrote us off at the start of the season and we got to the FFA Cup Final. We’ve got a chance of getting in the top six basically the same as every other team in the league.
“One thing about football is that you can’t go back, you just have to look forward. We keep belief. We concentrate on ourselves.”
After such an impressive performance that closed the gap on sides above them, the Yellow and Navy have a chance to move into finals footballs places with a victory over Sydney on Saturday afternoon.
So, who are the key players to keep an eye on?
Marco Ureña (Central Coast Mariners)
The 32-year-old Costa Rican has once again found his feet under the reign of Nick Montgomery.
He has played 19 games this season, netting on several occasions with five assists while averaging 81.4 minutes per game.
Ureña has an been an extremely influential player for the Yellow and Navy this season and his brilliance for Central Coast in the past few games could see him be called up once again for Los Ticos against New Zealand.
While also netting several goals for the Mariners, Ureña has been successful in the lead-up towards goals this season as the Costa Rican boasts five assists.
Trent Buhagiar (Sydney FC)
Trent Buhagiar is a name all too familiar to Central Coast Mariners fans. Born in bred on the Coast, the 24-year-old is coming off netting twice against Western Sydney Wanderers in the Sydney Derby.
He made the move to the Sky Blues after spending four years in the Central Coast set-up and has four goals and four assists so far this season.
Despite the four goals scored, Buhagiar has missed six big chances so far this season and has only found the back of the net every 245 minutes.
Regardless of the outcome of the match, it will be a great occasion for the Mariners as they celebrate their 10th Annual Pink Round. It is not too late to donate to Cancer Council, Bid on Match Worn Jerseys or grab your tickets for the match.
Donate: Click Here
Bid: Click Here
Buy Tickets: Click Here
Match Details:
Central Coast Mariners v Sydney FC
Pink Round
Isuzu UTE A-League MW23
Saturday 9th April 2022
7:45pm AEST Kick Off
6:30pm AEST Doors Open
Central Coast Stadium, Central Coast, NSW
Broadcast Live on Paramount+
Tickets Here
