Stajcic reveals ACL target after Mariners snap three-year hoodoo

Alen Stajcic has set the ambitious season goal of AFC Champions League qualification for Central Coast Mariners following the club’s 2-0 win over Macarthur on Sunday.

Central Coast crashed the A-League new boys’ homecoming through goals from Daniel De Silva and Jordan Smylie against the run of play in Campbelltown Stadium.

The streetwise display in Sydney’s south-west puts the club top of the pile after two matches.

It is also the first time the Mariners have won back to back games in a season since December 2017.

But Stajcic is convinced the tide is turning in Gosford.

The former Westfield Matildas boss believes his squad holds the leadership, experience and unity to propel themselves head-long into the competition mix – although he is not getting carried away just yet.

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“I said at the beginning we want to make the Asian Champions League and that objective stands,” he said.

“It’s a tremendous effort but it’s two games down and 24 to go.”

Stajcic added: “There’s so much hard work that’s gone on for such a small cub with limited resources. To be able to come up against a heavyweight like the Bulls, even though they’re new.

“And for us to be able to fight and scrap and show the resilience we did and the heart and spirit just shows what a football group can do to overcome the odds.”

“My assistant coach and I were having a bit of a joke on the bus down counting how many matches [Markel] Susaeta has played in La Liga and the Champions League and between him and Benat [Etxebarria] it was 1000 top flight matches in Europe.

“Just to think that [there is] that much value and experience on the pitch is incredible.”

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