Matt Simon goes from Sky Blue high to Mariners woe

At Sydney FC Matty Simon got used to being a winner. Things have changed dramatically after returning to Central Coast.

Central Coast veteran Matt Simon has no regrets about moving home

For three seasons, Matty Simon got used to being a winner.

An A-League championship, two Premier’s Plates, and an FFA Cup medal are among his honours during a three-year stint at Sydney FC.

But once a Coastie, always a Coastie and the lure this season of returning home to the Central Coast Mariners for the future of his family, and putting an end to the countless hours on the road travelling to and from Sydney, were too good to resist.

While the Mariners warrior and captain is happy to be seeing more of his family these days, things are not going so well on the field for him and his teammates. After a promising start, Central Coast are a forlorn sight at the bottom of the table with just two points and have yet to win a game in the opening eight rounds.

It is the worst points start for any club in the short history of the national competition.

The Mariners’ plight has rival fans mocking them as they go into Sunday’s M1 Derby against the Newcastle Jets at home staring at the possibility of remaining winless, which would put them on course for another unwanted record for worst starts without a win.

A loss against the Jets and another the following week would see them join Sydney FC (2007-08) and Wellington Phoenix (2013-14) on a 10-game losing streak, three defeats will put them on par with Perth Glory (2007-08) at 11, and four will equal Melbourne City’s 14-game losing streak in 2013-14.

If all those statistics aren’t enough to make a Mariners fan cry, then consider the fact that in the three seasons he was with Sydney FC Simon played 67 games, winning 39, drawing 18 and losing just 10. He has already lost five games this season.

But if you think the 32-year-old is looking for sympathy or has any regrets, think again.

Just like the way he plays on the field — hard and tough and with enormous passion — Simon is far from ready to give up the fight and has huge belief the team can turn things around.

“Sydney offered me a new contract and it was a difficult decision but one I felt was right for my family,” Simon told The Australian.

“I have no regrets. I wanted to be part of rebuilding phase here.

“Obviously no-one wants to be in this position we’re in, but we’ll just work harder to fight our way out of it.”

Simon, who is the Mariners’ greatest scorer of all time, spent eight seasons in two stints at the club before joining former Central Coast coach Graham Arnold at Sydney FC after an acrimonious split.

He became a fan favourite at the Sky Blues because of his never-say-die attitude and willingness to put his body on the line, sometimes skating on thin ice with referees because of his competitive nature.

It’s that determination and fire in the belly that the Mariners need to invoke as they try to extricate themselves from a situation that has them on course for a third wooden spoon in four seasons.

“Of course I think can turn it around. We haven’t lost any belief and the guys are working extremely hard,” Simon said.

“We just need to get that first win and with that will come the confidence.

“Then anything can happen. You get that first win and you can then get three on the bounce and it turns everything around.

“It would be fantastic to break the duck against the Jets in a derby.”