The score was deadlocked at half-time and Central Coast Mariners had gone three straight games without a win. That is before you got to Jason Cummings and his two-match dry spell, but just a look at a particular stat, and Saturday’s match was only ever going one way.
Central Coast snapped their drought and Cummings returned to the scorers list as the rampant Mariners blew away Macarthur FC 4-1 in Mudgee.
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Heading into the Round 20 contest, the Mariners had scored 23 second-half goals this season – the most of any team.
The second-half specialists stretched that tally to 26 as Socceroo Cummings scored twice in the second 45 minutes, while Marco Tulio was also on target after Macarthur’s Danny De Silva and James McGarry traded goals in the opening period.
For Cummings, he has now scored 14 goals in 2022-23. It is the Australia international’s best season since scoring 19 goals for Hibernian in 2016-17. However, that was in the second division of Scottish football. So it is in fact his best-ever campaign at top-flight level.
“The composure in the box there a couple of times is what we’ve been lacking lately,” Mariners head coach Nick Montgomery told Paramount+.
“We got it back today and really, really happy for Jason (Cummings) with his two goals as well.”
Central Coast’s Max Balard labelled the second half “magic”, but what was Montgomery’s half-time message?
“Just stay calm,” Montgomery said. “It was a slow game with the heat in the first half. They sat off us and got an early goal. They were obviously going to try to protect that lead.
“It was important we stayed calm and stuck to the game plan. I thought in the second half we did that. Just stick to the process and give everything you’ve got. When you’re dead, the young boys will come on and give energy.”
The Mariners, who have gone nine games without a clean sheet, were without Jacob Farrell (illness) and Brian Kaltak (suspension), while Nectarios Triantis is away on international duty with the Young Socceroos.
“I’m super proud. We have lost a lot of players over the last couple of weeks,” Montgomery said.
“I thought the boys that came in today – 12 Under-23 players, nine I think from the Academy and 11 of them featured in the game. I’m really proud of that.”
‘We’re real contenders’ as Theoharous thrives on the Coast
Chris Theoharous sent a warning to the rest of the competition after the Mariners put the Bulls to the sword at Glen Willow Stadium.
“What the boys did today and the character we showed, I think we’re real contenders and we can cause issues once we get into finals,” the former Borussia Monchengladbach youngster told Paramount+.
The Mariners won for just the second time in eight matches to get back to winning ways.
Theoharous made his first start for Central Coast since arriving from A-League Men champions Western United in January, and he was named man of the match.
It was another impressive performance from the 23-year-old, who had struggled for game time under John Aloisi in Melbourne.
“The belief the coaching staff give me and the relationship I have with them, it makes you want to work hard and give all you have for the team,” Theoharous said.
“The most important is my relationship with my coach. (Nick Montgomery) Monty has been unreal since I’ve been here. I really can’t thank him enough honestly.
“People take opportunities for granted and from where I’ve come and how many games I’ve played in the recent past.. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him.”
As for Macarthur, their finals hopes took a hit following a fifth straight away defeat.
During that run away from Campbelltown, the Bulls have conceded four or more goals in four of those five fixtures.
The Australia Cup champions are three points outside of the top six but Sydney FC could extend that buffer on Sunday.
“There’s a still a chance and we still believe. We just need to be more consistent,” said head coach Mile Sterjovski.
Report – AAP
A Jason Cummings brace helped Central Coast silence their critics and register a 4-1 defeat of Macarthur FC, who risk of falling out of touch with the A-League Men’s top six as a tough run of games looms.
Missing three players to suspension, the Mariners did the bulk of the damage in a second-half skirmish that took them from 1-1 at the break to 3-1 up in the 51st minute.
Twelve minute later, a Cummings spot-kick put the result beyond doubt.
Central Coast had managed only one win in their seven games before Saturday’s clash with the Bulls in Mudgee but will now finish the round either second or third on the ladder.
Despite starting stronger than their rivals and opening the scoring through Daniel De Silva in the 11th minute, the Bulls came up short of answers once the Mariners began to sort their own press out.
Again playing as an attacking midfielder, ex-Socceroo Daniel Arzani was the most threatening Bull in attack and helped De Silva beat the inexperienced back-line for his long-awaited first goal of the season.
Macarthur goalkeeper Filip Kurto came up with three impressive first-half saves that kept the Mariners at bay after mid-season recruit James McGarry equalised.
Despite a solid first half, Bulls centre-back Jonathan Aspropotamitis found himself substituted out at the break in favour of Aleksandar Susnjar
The change had been in effect only two minutes when Cummings split Susnjar and Tomislav Uskok at close range to give the Mariners the lead for the first time.
The goal broke a two-game drought for the Scottish-born striker – his longest of the season – after he was denied by Kurto in the first half.
When Marco Tulio belted a right-footed strike from the edge of the box and into the goal, the Mariners were up and about and never looked like surrendering their advantage.
The defeat continued a run of five straight road losses for the Bulls, who have not won away from Campbelltown Stadium since Christmas Eve.
Macarthur are only three points out of the top six, but also only four ahead of 11th-placed Brisbane.
In their past six matches, Macarthur face four sides higher on the ladder than they currently are, including competition heavyweights Melbourne City and the Western Sydney Wanderers.
The Mariners have a milder run of things as they hope to secure a top-two spot with Melbourne Victory, Brisbane Roar and Western United their next three opponents.
