Central Coast Mariners have been defeated 2-0 by Japanese side Kawasaki Frontale in their final game of their ACL Elite campaign on a night where 16-year-old midfielder Haine Eames captained the side.
The Mariners held firm in the first-half but were ultimately undone ten minutes before half-time as Brazilian forward Erison fired home from the spot after Christian Theoharous had brought down Hinata Yamauchi inside the box.
Frontale dominated the second half of the home game and had ample opportunities to add a second on the night and eventually did so with essentially the final kick of the game; substitute Marcinho lobbing goalkeeper Adam Pavlesic in the eighth minute of stoppage time with a sublime finish to make it 2-0.
The result means the Mariners finish rock bottom of the ACL Elite league phase having collected just one point from their eight matches.
In a huge positive though, young midfielder Eames took the armband in the second-half as he skippered the Mariners for the final 20 minutes of the contest against one of Asia’s top teams.
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On a cold night in Kawasaki Mark Jackson fielded a young Mariners side that had an average age of just 21.7 years and while they saw little of the ball in the first half they certainly acquitted themselves well defensively against the side bidding to finish top of the ACL Elite league phase.
An audacious bicycle kick from Erison aside, Mariners keeper Adam Pavlesic had little to do as Frontale dominated possession but struggled to create any real meaningful chances.
However that all changed in the 35th minute as Yamauchi was brought down inside the box by Theoharous and, after the penalty call was rubber stamped by the VAR, Elison duly slammed home the spot-kick to make it 1-0.
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Yamauchi was then inches away from doubling his side’s lead before half-time as his sumptuous effort from the edge of the box crashed back off the angle of crossbar and post before it was hoofed clear by the Mariners who subsequently trailed 1-0 at the break.
Already without the suspended Brian Kaltak and the injured Trent Sainsbury, Jackson lowered the average age of the side even further in the second half when he brought on both Arthur De Lima and Bailey Brandtman to give more youngsters some valuable minutes in Japan.
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The reigning Isuzu UTE A-League Champions saw the welcome return of Northern Irish midfielder Alfie McCalmont to the side in the 73rd minute as he made his return from injury.
On an even more positive note, Mariners’ 16-year-old midfielder Eames was handed the armband for the remainder of the game, taking over skippering duties from Harrison Steele in what was a huge show of confidence from his head coach.
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Frontale substitute Marcinho was lively upon entering the fray and forced Pavlesic into a smart save in the 73rd minute as the Mariners began to fade and the home side exerted full control of the game, albeit with only a one-goal buffer.
The Brazilian then fizzed a powerful left-footed shot past the post as the home side looked to bag a second goal which would not only wrap up the victory but also give them a strong chance of finishing top of the league phase.
Impressing off the bench, Marcinho did eventually get his goal though and it came deep into stoppage time.
Racing onto a ball over the top, the attacker coolly lifted the ball over the advancing Pavlesic with a fine finish to make it 2-0.
