A-League Grand Final: Central Coast Mariners hat-trick hero Jason Cummings set to leave club

Central Coast Mariners star Jason Cummings’ hat-trick in the grand final may have been a farewell to the club and the A-League.

Jason Cummings was the hero for Central Coast.

Grand final hero Jason Cummings has paid tribute to Central Coast Mariners coach Nick Montgomery for giving him the chance to revive a career that is set to continue away from the A-League.

Cummings’ hat-trick was the highlight of the Mariners’ emphatic 6-1 drubbing of Melbourne City in Saturday night’s decider at CommBank Stadium.

It was also the culmination of a remarkable 18 months in Australia for the Scotland-born marksman.

Thrown a career lifeline by Montgomery after being released by Scottish club Dundee for disciplinary reasons, Cummings has scored 31 goals in 50 appearances in all competitions for the Mariners.

With Cummings eligible to play for Australia through his mother’s heritage, his form caught the attention of national coach Graham Arnold, who picked him in the Socceroos’ 2022 World Cup squad.

Now at 27, Cummings’ football journey is reportedly set to take him to the Indian Super League, suggesting in a television interview after the grand final that he was moving on.

Daniel Vukovic of the Mariners celebrates winning the 2023 A-League grand final.

Come the post-game press conference, the star striker and Joe Marston medalist for his player-of-the-match performance wasn’t as forthcoming about his future.

However, there was no doubting his gratitude to Montgomery, and the Mariners, for taking a gamble on him

“Everyone knows how much this club means to me,” Cummings said.

“I was at a stage in my career, Dundee let me go and (Montgomery) gave me an opportunity, and the Mariners in the last year and a half has just been a dream come true.

“I need to just enjoy the moment now, go back with the boys (to Gosford) and enjoy it with my family and the fans, and then see what happens but I don’t know just yet.”

Cummings was lavish in his praise for 41-year-old Montgomery, the former Mariners midfielder whose future also perhaps lies elsewhere such has been his rise in the coaching ranks.

𝐖𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐈𝐓! 💛💙#CCMFC#Believe#WontBackDown#MCYvCCMpic.twitter.com/obNwuUn3YI

— Central Coast Mariners (@CCMariners) June 3, 2023

“(He’s) the best manager I’ve worked under,” Cummings said of the man they call “Monty”.

‘I’ve had a lot of clubs and he’s the best tactically. On the training field, as a person, as a guy, his man management … is a different class.

“He’s young as a manager, and he can go to the top level. Him and (Mariners assistant coach) Sergio (Raimundo) as well on the training patch (leave) no stone unturned

“That’s the reason why we won the (final) 6-1 day, because of these guys.”

Montgomery said if the Mariners lost Cummings and other grand final heroes, the club would recover and unearth some other hidden gems.

“That’s football – we’ll bring in new players,” Central Coast’s mentor said.

“We’re a selling club. The club needs to sell players to survive.”

Jason v Goliath: Cummings hat-trick seals Mariners fairytale

A hat-trick from Socceroos striker Jason Cummings has propelled the Central Coast Mariners to a fairytale 6-1 grand final demolition of a star-studded Melbourne City.

Undoubtedly the underdogs going into Saturday night’s A-League decider at CommBank Stadium, the Mariners stunned City, who have now lost three of the past four grand finals.

City’s regular season dominance counted for nothing when it mattered most, with the Melbourne heavyweights never recovering after going 2-0 down after 34 minutes after goals from Cummings and the dynamic Sam Silvera.

Although cutting the Mariners’ lead in half with a goal from substitute Richard van der Venne, City failed to match the passion of the Central Coast, who scored four times in the second half ­- two Cummings penalties, a header from Frenchman Beni N’Kololo and a stoppage-time strike from substitute Moresche – to seal the Mariners’ first championship since 2013.

Jason Cummings’ hat-trick inspired Central Coast Mariners to a 5-1 Grand Final win.

It also completed a remarkable turnaround for the Mariners, who were wooden spooners three seasons in a row from 2018 to 2020

But under former Mariners player Nick Montgomery, Central Coast have become the new entertainers of the competition, proving it with a stunning grand final win in front of more than 26,000 fans.

City didn’t deserve for their season to finish in such an embarrassing way, but questions will again be asked of their failure to rise to the grandest occasion of them all.

There was to be no fairytale finish for retiring City captain Scott Jamieson, who watched the entire match from the bench.

Cummings confirmed post-match that he had played his last game for the Marines, and he could not have finished his Central Coast career in a better way after winning the Joe Marston Medal for his man-of-the-match performance.

An emotional Danny Vukovic during the A-League decider.

First-half frenzy

After an uneventful start, the grand final came to life in the 20th minute when Cummings gave the Mariners the lead,

The move started deep in Central Coast’s half and gathered momentum when Frenchman N’Kololo charged down the right sideline before delivering a cross into the path of Cummings.

The Scotland-born marksman, who represented Australia at last year’s World Cup, met the cross with a first-time volley but it was blocked by City defender Curtis Good

However, the Mariners’ ace was first to react to the loose ball and stabbed it home past City goalkeeper Tom Glover.

The goal sent the Central Coast fans into a frenzy and they seemed set to further erupt three minutes later when Brazilian attacker Marco Tulio had a double chance to increase the Mariners’ lead.

There was nowhere to hide for Mathew Leckie or Melbourne City.

Glover stood tall to deny him the first time, before Good was on hand to clear a goal-bound shot off the line after Tulio was presented with a second opportunity from the loose ball off the City keeper’s initial save.

But the Mariners didn’t have to wait much longer to score a deserved second goal, with the in-form Silvera finding the back of the net in the 34th minute.

Fed by Cummings, the electrifying Silvera stood up City’s Portuguese defender Nuno Reis before cutting into City’s penalty area and slotting the ball into the bottom corner of the net.

A shell-shocked City then did what good teams do – respond with a goal of their own.

It came in the 40th minute from Dutchman van der Venne, who had come on for the injured Valon Berisha (back).

The move involved Marco Tilio, Good and Jamie Maclaren, who rather than shooting, laid the ball into the path of van der Venne, who did well to steer his first-time finish into the roof of the net.

However, the Mariners had a golden chance to again open up a two-goal lead in first-half stoppage-time, but Glover came to City’s rescue with a fine save to deny N’Kololo.

But the Mariners upped the ante in the second half and City had no answers.

Mariners captain Danny Vukovic was grateful for the passionate support his side received from Central Coast fans

“We came last three years in a row but you stuck by the club,” Vukovic said.

“This one’s for you guys.”

Originally published as A-League Grand Final: Central Coast Mariners hat-trick hero Jason Cummings set to leave club