Mariners Central: Controversial calls go against Central Coast in ‘frustrating’ A-League loss
The Central Coast Mariners slumped to their fourth-straight loss against Brisbane, with the team left frustrated after a string of tight calls went against them.
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There were mixed emotions as the Central Coast Mariners’ men’s and women’s teams were in action at home in a double-header against the Brisbane Roar on Sunday.
While the women built on their impressive start to the season with an entertaining 1-1 draw, the men’s frustrating grand final hangover continued with a 2-1 loss.
Catch with the biggest news and talking points below with Mariners Central.
CHAMPIONS HIT ROCK BOTTOM
It seems like just a couple of short months ago that the Mariners were the toast of Australian football after wiping Melbourne City away 6-1 in the grand final to cap off a fairytale A-League win.
However the club has come crashing back to earth in a big way, losing all four games so far this season to sit stone motherless at the bottom of the table.
And while the club has lost big-name players and seen a new coach come in, the current squad has made it clear they’re not happy with the status quo.
“We can’t make excuses, we know what we need to do, we know where we are and we know we need to fix it as quickly as possible,” said coach Mark Jackson said after the game.
“It’s not a position we want to be in, that I want to be in as a manager, that the players want to be in as a team and the club wants to be in. We know we have to work hard to fix that and we’re doing all we can to fix that.”
BIG DECISIONS FRUSTRATE
Frustrated was the word of the day for Jackson after a red card, VAR drama and another loss kept the reigning champions firmly in last place.
While Jackson conceded he had to have faith in the technology to make the right decisions after VAR cleared Brisbane’s first goal, which looked perilously close to the byline before being cut back and slotted away, the coach believed two other key decisions in the match – an overturned penalty initially awarded to Christian Theoharous and the red card given to Harry Steele – were calls that could have gone the Mariners’ way.
“I’m disappointed with the penalty, I think it was a penalty,” he said.
“Ultimately they’ve got to make the decisions and I think it was a wrong one, and that’s where the momentum switched for us.
“Looking at the red card and the letter of the law, where Steele’s studs were up, but if you look just before that you see he gets fouled and that affects his momentum going into the tackle.”
The team clearly took the frustration to heart and weren’t able to regain their footing, something that didn’t affect the side during their championship-winning campaign.
DEFENSIVE LAPSES PROVE COSTLY
While the Mariners played well in large patches against Brisbane, controlling periods of the game and creating several chances, the team was once again let down by some defensive lapses inside their own box.
For the Roar’s first goal, Brisbane attacking midfielder Florin Berenguer found himself in acres of space on the top of the six-yard box and even had the ability to take a touch before slotting the ball into the back of the net.
It was a similar story for the Roar’s second, with some sloppy defending leaving Tom Waddingham unmarked on the six-yard box, where he placed a nice sidefoot finish past Danny Vukovic.
While both of Brisbane’s goals came from nicely worked plays down the flanks, the Mariners will be bitterly disappointed in allowing the Roar attackers to have so much space so close to goal.
It has been a recurring problem for the team so far this season, with the Mariners conceding nine goals from their first four games to be the equal second-worst defensive team in the competition.
IS KUOL THE ANSWER?
After floundering in the opening rounds, Alou Kuol is back to the goal-scoring ways that made him a Mariners legend during his first stint with the club.
The elder Kuol brother created multiple chances in the first half, finding the back of the net to level the scores in the 31st minute.
It was Kuol’s first ALM goal since rejoining the Mariners this season, and also comes after he scored in the side’s 2-1 AFC Cup win over Bali United away from home during the week.
After last week challenging his strikers to step up fix the team’s problems in front of goal, the coach said he was pleased with Kuol’s response.
“We saw little bits with Alou when he came on against Perth, and that was a bit of progress,” Jackson said after the match.
“He continued that against Bali, got a goal and he’s got a goal today, so he’s starting to grow into that role.
“And I’ve just challenged the strikers within the club to be hungry, for someone to go and take that mantle of, ‘I’m going to be the starting number nine, I’m going to get the goals and I’m going to do the work for the team which is needed.’”
BADAWIYA GETS OFF THE MARK
In the ALW, the former NSW NPL Women’s top scorer finally started her Mariners’ tally, scoring against the run of play to reward her team with a point in the 1-1 draw against Brisbane Roar.
Like Kuol, Badawiya had been seen as a potential goal-scoring machine since signing with the Mariners, whom she joined after a brief stint with Sydney FC at the back end of last season.
Her partnership up front with Chinese import Wurigumula has so far been solid, however as a brand new team in the competition, it is likely going to take some time before they become a cohesive unit able to consistently deliver chances up front.
FINE MARGINS AND NEAR MISSES
While they rode their luck early in the game, the Mariners would have walked off the park disappointed not to have taken all three points after some excellent chances against the Roar.
Undoubtedly the best chance came in the 31st minute when Isabel Gomez stepped up to take a penalty after attacker Wurigumula was ruled to have been fouled in the box.
However Gomez’s penalty was poor, with Roar keeper Jordan Silkowitz diving to her right and saving with her knees.
It wasn’t the only time Silkowitz denied the Mariners, with the keeper pulling off great saves to deny Badawiya and Peta Trimis.
However she saved her best for last, showing cat-like reflexes and springing to her left to tip an Annalise Rasmussen header onto the bar and out for a corner to ensure both sides took home a point.
YOUNG GUNS SHINE
The Mariners’ young guns were the stars of the show against Brisbane and have provided hope that another win is just around the corner.
Trimis was a breath of fresh air when she was brought on in the second half, creating chances and capitalising on mistakes to be a nuisance to the Roar defence.
The 17-year-old was a crucial part of the Mariners’ late push for a second goal, showing her speed and getting stick into the contest in both attack and defence.
Meanwhile 18-year-old Rasmussen’s brilliant header at the death could have been the difference, as well as Gomez’s missed penalty opportunity.
As a team with a mix of youth and experience, it’s no doubt pleasing for Mariners officials to see the young players pulling creating chances and improving with each match.
FOUR FROM THREE AIN’T BAD
The draw takes the Mariners to four points from three games to sit in sixth place on the ladder.
It marks an impressive start for Emily Husband’s side in its first season in the ALW, particularly considering that the team has played one game fewer than most teams in the competition.
The strong second half performance will give the team plenty of confidence that they can march further up the ladder as the season progresses.
However as with any new teams there is still plenty of room for improvement as the team continues to gel.
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