Central Coast Mariners showcased their fighting spirit on Sunday afternoon as they ended a tough week for the club with a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Macarthur Bulls.
Even though the clash was moved back by 24 hours due to a waterlogged pitch at polytec Stadium, both sides still had to contend with the soggy conditions in Gosford.
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However it was the away side adapted to the soaked pitch much quicker than their hosts and would have taken the lead in just the third minute were it not for Mariners keeper Andrew Redmayne, who’s excellent double save thwarted both Sime Grzan and Callum Talbot.
Bulls midfielder Liam Rose then sent a stinging shot narrowly wide of the upright as the Mariners were fortunate not to find themselves behind inside 10 minutes.
Despite being on the backfoot it was the Mariners who then should have taken the lead as new signing Oli Lavale sprung the offside trap but rattled the bar with a fierce shot when one on one with Bulls keeper Filip Kurto.
Lavale then threatened the Bulls goal again in the 32nd minute as his powerful low strike was deflected wide of the target via a last-ditch challenged from Talbot while Grzan then threatened at the other end but couldn’t hit the target.
Miguel Di Pizio came close to breaking the deadlock at the start of the second half but his vicious left-footed shot flew into the side netting of Kurto’s goal.
Socceroo Mitch Duke came off the bench in the 61st minute for his Bulls debut and almost broke the deadlock with his first touch, however the veteran striker nodded fellow sub Luke Vickery’s cross wide of the target.
Duke then had another glorious chance to break the deadlock in the 65th minute but lifted Vickery’s cutback over the bar from close range.
However, whilst the duo couldn’t combine to find the opening goal on either of those two occasions it would prove to be a case of third time lucky at polytec Stadium.
Having brilliantly controlled Talbot’s cross into the box, Duke then found Vickery with a brilliant backheeled pass and the winger did the rest; curling a superb strike into the top corner to make it 1-0.
But if Macarthur’s substitutions had helped turn the game in their favour, then the Mariners’ weren’t bad either as winger Sabit Ngor bagged a brilliant equaliser in the 77th minute.
After a Bulls move broke down at one end the Mariners quickly sprang up the other as a pinpoint through ball from Di Pizio found Ngor who coolly rounded the advancing Kurto before squeezing the ball between the legs of a sliding Matt Jurman to make it 1-1.
Redmayne was then called into action in the 80th minute as he threw up a strong right hand to deny substitute Dean Bosnjak inside the area.
The result moves the Mariners off the foot of the ladder and ahead of the Western Sydney Wanderers on goal difference, whilst Macarthur sit in sixth place.
