Central Coast Mariners’ wait for a first win in their 2024-25 AFC Champions League Elite campaign continued following a 2-1 loss to Buriram United as Mark Jackson warned his side must improve quickly.
The Mariners, missing injured Socceroos defender Trent Sainsbury, went down to the Thai champions on matchday two despite a bright opening in Gosford on Tuesday night.
Central Coast, who lost 3-1 to 2023-24 quarter-finalists Shandong Taishan in their ACL Elite opener last month, conceded in each half and saw new goalkeeper Adam Pavlesic sent off approaching the hour mark.
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A stunning and thunderous goal from full-back Lucas Mauragis reduced the deficit in the fifth minute of stoppage time, but it was too little too late for the Mariners.
“The performance went wrong with the goals we conceded, particularly the first goal. Really poor,” Central Coast head coach Jackson told reporters post-game.
“Very disappointing with how we want to defend and our principles of play in those areas. Up until them scoring, they had moments but I thought we started the game well and dominated. We looked more like ourselves.
“… The goals were totally avoidable from our point of view.”
Pavlesic’s 57th-minute red card for a challenge outside of the penalty area handed an ACL Elite debut to Jack Warshawsky, who made his senior bow for the Mariners in the 2023 Australia Cup.
“We put ourselves in a situation we shouldn’t be in,” Jackson said. “We gave the ball away on the left-hand side. Give the ball away cheaply.
“Part of our play is we talk about our structure behind the ball when we’re attacking. So again, we speak about rest defence and actually having a defensive mentality when we have the ball so when we lose it we don’t put ourselves in those positions.
“We put ourselves in a position where the goalkeeper has to come out and make a decision. We shouldn’t be in that position.
“We had comfortable possession and we gave up cheap possession. That’s not us. It’s not who we want to be and where we want to be in the next game.
“We have to improve quickly.
“If we want to be successful this season, we have to learn and adapt quickly.”
Pavlesic’s dismissal could potentially throw the race to be the team’s no.1 goalkeeper wide open as Central Coast also gear up for the start of their Isuzu UTE A-League title defence against Melbourne Victory on October 18.
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The Mariners lost captain Danny Vukovic to retirement in the off-season. They now boast new signing and Australia Under-23 international Pavlesic, who started against Shandong, and fellow Olyroo Warshawsky in a youthful keeping brigade that also features 16-year-old Jai Ajanovic and 18-year-old Dylan Peraic-Cullen.
“We’ve got three fantastic goalkeepers here,” head coach Mark Jackson said before the match.
“Let’s be clear: We’ve got three really exciting young Australian goalkeepers who are really fighting out for that starting position, who are fighting every day to earn that number one spot.
“Whoever starts again (against Buriram), there’s no definite number one for me yet, I expect that to develop over the season as we go along – but not yet.
“In regards to conceding goals: when the goal goes in, defenders and goalkeepers get looked at straight away. But there’s a bigger picture than that… it’s how we control situations, to not put ourselves in those situations is really, really important.”
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Jackson made four changes to the team that started against China’s Shandong Taishan, with one enforced. With Sainsbury injured, Ryan Edmondson, Vitor Feijao and Sabit Ngor also made way for Christian Theoharous, Storm Roux, Nathan Paull and Bailey Brandtman, who started his first AFC fixture.
It was Central Coast’s first match at Industree Group Stadium since clinching their second straight Isuzu UTE A-League Championship at the expense of Melbourne Victory in May.
There was a familiar face in the opposing line-up, with former Melbourne City star Curtis Good suiting up for Thai champions Buriram, who were led by ex-Newcastle Jets boss Arthur Papas last season and stunned City in November.
The Mariners started on the front foot and looked the more likely to break the deadlock on a picturesque evening in Gosford, where they controlling proceedings initially and saw Alou Kuol nearly bend a shot inside the post.
But as the half wore on, Buriram grew into the contest and started to apply sustained pressure on the home side, and it eventually led to the opening goal on the half-hour mark.
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After a couple of decent chances, Brazilian striker Guilherme Bissoli poked home the opener beyond Adam Pavlesic as Central Coast were caught napping by a quick free-kick.
Bissoli nearly had a second four minutes into the second half but Pavlesic produced a fine diving save to thwart the Buriram frontman.
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But it did not matter as Australian defender Good popped up inside the box to double Buriram’s lead moments later.
The Mariners were left with a mountain to climb after Pavlesic was sent off for a foul on Bissoli outside of the box in the 57th minute, as Jackson turned to Warshawsky, who made an impressive late save during the closing stages to keep the score at 2-0.
Against the run of play, Mauragis’ sensational solo goal resulted in an incredible 95th-minute strike but it was merely a consolation.
As it stands, the Mariners are bottom of the 12-team East league with no points from two games while Buriram have collected four points.
“We know it’s not going to be easy,” Mariners defender Brian Kaltak said afterwards. “The first 20-30 minutes we we were well in the game.
“… very happy with the boys for the effort they put in. We’re looking forward to the next game.”
With the Isuzu UTE A-League yet to begin, Kaltak added: “In a positive way we get our legs going before the league starts.
“Pre-season has been hard, we know the situation of the club but the boys who come in fit in really well.
“It takes time, it takes time to get fit again. We trust the process and believe in it.”
