Brisbane resist surging Mariners

The Central Coast Mariners are showing continued signs of a revival after a 1-1 draw with the Brisbane Roar.

Luke De Vere of the Roar heads home his first goal in the A-League in more than two years. Picture: AAO

It was not good enough to get them off the bottom of the table but the Central Coast Mariners are showing continued signs of a revival after a 1-1 draw with the Brisbane Roar at Central Coast Stadium last night.

Needing a win to leapfrog the Roar and climb off the bottom of the table, the Mariners threw everything at the visitors in the final 15 minutes.

The result leaves them on six points, still two behind the Queenslanders but the Mariners faithful should be encouraged by the performance.

Central Coast have now garnered four points from their past two games and have plenty of confidence, especially after their first win of the season midweek.

Credit though also to the Roar, who showed plenty of fight and desperation to withstand the home side’s late onslaught.

The Mariners had the Roar under plenty of pressure in the opening 20 minutes.

They were quick to convert that into an early goal through Matthew Millar after three minutes.

Mario Shabow released Connor Pain in space down the left flank and he put in a cross that the Roar defence failed to deal with. Jordan Murray pounced before laying it off to Millar, who was off balance at one stage but recovered to cut inside and poke the ball home from 10 metres.

The home side continued to press forward and had the Roar defence on shaky ground. But they could not deliver the killer blow.

The Roar soon settled into the game and they looked the more livelier as Central Coast appeared to sit back as Henrique was creating trouble down the Mariners’ right side.

The Brazilian produced a mazy run before getting near the byline and putting in a dangerous cross that was cleared by defender Kye Rowles — and it needed to be as Adam Taggart was ready to pounce at the far post.

It came as no surprise then that the visitors finally cracked the Mariners defence.

The equaliser came in first half stoppage time when Eric Bautheac swung in a corner from the right. Luke De Vere escaped his marker and headed in at the far post to level. It was De Vere’s first goal since October 2016.

Neither side could take a firm grip on the game in the opening 20 minutes. The endeavour was there but the execution wasn’t.

There was controversy when the Mariners were denied a penalty in the 74th minute when Daniel Bowles appeared to handle the ball but referee Matthew Conger waved it away.

VAR intervened and although Conger looked at the replays he stuck with his original decision.

The Mariners searched desperately for a winner but were thwarted by a combination of wrong options, superb goalkeeping, Lady Luck and last ditched defending.