Central Coast Mariners coach Mark Jackson disappointed with his team’s performance in loss to Buriram United

The Central Coast Mariners have plenty of work ahead of them if they want to match the success they had last season.

Unhappy Central Coast coach Mark Jackson admits the Mariners are well short of the form that lifted them to last season’s treble following another disappointing AFC Champions League Elite performance.

The Mariners were beaten 2-1 on Tuesday night in Gosford by Thai outfit Buriram United.

Despite his side’s cause not being helped by goalkeeper Adam Pavlesic’s sending off in the 57th minute, Jackson was not seeking excuses after the Mariners’ second successive loss in Asian football’s top club competition.

“We have to improve quickly,” said Jackson, whose club last season won the AFC Cup as well as the A-League premiership and championship.

“If we want to be successful this season, we need to learn and adapt fast.

“The performance went wrong with the goals we conceded, especially the first one.

“It was really poor. I’m very disappointed with how we defended and applied our principles of play in those moments.”

Central Coast Mariners goalkeeper Adam Pavlesic leaves the pitch after being sent off in his side’s 2-1 loss to Buriram United. Picture: Saeed Khan / AFP

With his side trailing 2-0, Pavlesic was shown a straight card for a last-man foul on Buriram’s Brazilian attacker Guilherme Bissoli after the gloveman came charging out of his penalty area in a fruitless attempt to be first to a though ball that had exposed a Mariners defence that was without injured former Socceroo Trent Sainsbury.

“We put ourselves in a situation where the goalkeeper had to come out and make a decision,” Jackson said.

“That shouldn’t have happened. We were in comfortable possession but gave it away cheaply.”

Bissoli had given Buriram a first-half lead that was doubled in the 50th minute by former Melbourne City defender Curtis Good.

Mariners left-back Lucas Mauragis scored a stoppage-time cracker for the hosts, but it was too little, too late for the Mariners, who return to Champions League action on October 22 in an away match against Chinese Super League leaders Shanghai Port, who are coached by ex-Melbourne Victory mentor Kevin Muscat.

Before then, the Mariners meet the Victory on the opening night of the A-League season on October 18.

Originally published as Central Coast Mariners coach Mark Jackson disappointed with his team’s performance in loss to Buriram United