Merrick vows Newcastle Jets will keep fighting despite Mariners shock

Time is running short for Newcastle Jets, but coach Ernie Merrick is far from ready to give up the fight.

Newcastle coach Ernie Merrick watches from the dugout as the Jets went down to the Mariners on Saturday. Picture: AAP

Time is running short for Newcastle Jets but coach Ernie Merrick is not ready to give up the fight as playoff hopes hang by a thread.

The Jets are still kicking themselves after missing a golden opportunity to make up valuable ground in the race for the top six following their shock 3-2 loss to Central Coast Mariners in the M1 Derby on Saturday night.

With sixth-placed Adelaide United going down to Perth Glory on Friday, the seventh-placed Jets could have closed the gap to just two points had they accounted for a Mariners side that was seemingly down and out and coming off an 8-2 flogging the previous week.

It was not to be, as new coach Alen Stajcic worked a minor miracle in steering Central Coast to just their second win of the season while inflicting an almost fatal blow on the Jets’ season.

While Roy O’Donovan spurned a chance to earn his side a last-minute draw, Merrick, ever the realist, had no excuses.

“Yes, that result hurt but, credit to the Mariners, they did what they had to do. But we let the club and our fans down. You can’t play like that and hope to get into the finals,” Merrick said.

“We lost the game in the first half by not taking our chances and we didn’t get any better in the second half.

“Playing for 15 minutes at the end of the game and then relying on a penalty to try and get you a draw is not good enough.”

Merrick, who took the side to the grand final last season, says it is not all doom and gloom. He promised the Jets will give the chase to get into the finals a red hot go.

“I said to the boys before Saturday’s game that we probably need to win three and maybe draw one of our last six games,” he said.

“That is now down to three wins and a draw from out last five games. Yes the gap is tough but it certainly isn’t impossible.

“The thing is that it is a very even competition and any team can beat any team on their day.

“We are having to rely on some results going our way and then we need to do our part as well.

“We just really need get our heads right because it is becoming a real mental game.

“What we need to do is defend and finish a lot better than we did against the Mariners.”

Importantly for Newcastle and Merrick, they will get some troops back, with Olyroos Ivan Vujica, Joel Champness and Johnny Koutroumbis, who all missed the match against the Mariners, available for the away game against Wellington Phoenix on March 30.

Attacker Ronny Vargas will also be fitter after returning to action against Central Coast following a month out with injury.

Vargas came on as a substitute and scored, though Merrick said he pulled up a little sore.

But with the A-League having a week off because of the international break, it should not be an issue for the Venezuelan.