Central Coast Mariners were left to count the cost of three injuries to key players in a 2-1 defeat to Malaysian giants Johor Darul Ta’zim in the AFC Asian Champions League Elite on Tuesday night.
JDT travelled to Industree Group Stadium eager to keep up their pursuit of a spot in the ACL Elite knockouts and were aided by a first-half red card to Mariners keeper Dylan Peraic-Cullen for a challenge on Arif Aiman Hanapi.
JDT striker Bérgson had a goal ruled out for offside in first-half stoppage time but the visitors were not to be denied three points, as centre-back Álvaro González scored two second-half goals on either side of an Alou Kuol equaliser to deal the Mariners their sixth defeat of the group stage.
The red card to Peraic-Cullen wasn’t the only personnel blow suffered by the Mariners on Tuesday night, with Ryan Edmondson and captain Trent Sainsbury both withdrawn in the first half, with shoulder and hamstring injuries respectively.
Then, late in the game, Central Coast’s star creator Mikael Doka was withdrawn after an attempted cross-field pass hit him in the head from close range; Doka was taken off as a concussion substitute before the full-time whistle confirmed a 2-1 win to JDT in Gosford.
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An action-packed first half somehow ended 0-0 with five substitutions, a disallowed JDT goal and a red card to Mariners keeper Dylan Peraic-Cullen all coming before the break.
The visitors were the first to make an early change when Roque Mesa was forced off through injury, with Afiq Fazail coming off the bench to replace the midfielder in the 26th minute.
But then, the Mariners were dealt a double injury blow.
Striker Ryan Edmondson was withdrawn just beyond the hour mark after falling awkwardly on his shoulder. He was replaced by Alou Kuol in attack for the hosts.
Seven minutes after Edmondson’s substitution, play halted again as Socceroos defender and Mariners captain Trent Sainsbury pulled up after a pass in defence holding his left hamstring. Sainsbury was not able to continue as teenage defender Diesel Herrington came off the bench in place of the injured centre-back.
Then, in first-half stoppage time, Mariners keeper Peraic-Cullen was sent to the stands after a challenge on Arif outside his defensive penalty area.
Referee Ko Hyung-jin produced the red card to reduce the hosts to 10, which led Mariners head coach Mark Jackson to make two more first-half substitutions, with backup keeper Adam Pavlesic replacing forward Miguel Di Pizio and Sasha Kuzevski coming on for full-back Lucas Mauragis.
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Heberty took the resulting free-kick and crashed his attempt off the post; Jordi Amat arrived on the scene first to set up Bérgson for a tap-in but the Brazilian forward was offside before receiving the ball, and the goal was subsequently ruled out as the 10-man Mariners survived to half-time level at 0-0.
Jackson made his fifth change of the game at half-time, introducing winger Christian Theoharous for Abdul Faisal as the Mariners began the second half looking to get an unlikely point against the Malaysian giants.
But the visitors should have gone ahead in the 50th minute when Arif presented Bérgson with a gilt-edged opportunity from close range. Bérgson was picked out by a perfectly-placed cross off the right wing and his first-time effort was on target but Pavlesic stood tall to parry the ball away in a terrific display of goalkeeping.
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The away side ramped up the pressure on the Mariners heading toward the hour mark but substitute keeper Pavlesic continued his bright start to the second half, making a double save highlighted by a reactive stop to deny Bérgson yet again.
The away side came even closer in the 62nd minute when Arif floated an inviting ball to Álvaro González whose header shaved the crossbar on its way across the target.
Pavlesic made yet another save as the Mariners clung on in Gosford but the pressure eventually told when Arif’s cutback cross found Álvaro who finished calmly into the bottom-right corner.
Down to 10 men and down a goal, the Mariners were all-but beaten at Industree Group Stadium before a goal against the run of play brought the hosts back into the contest.
Mikael Doka’s free-kick sparked the successful attack, with Kaltak’s header at the back post finding Kuol all alone in the six-yard box for a simple finish as the Mariners brought it back to 1-1.
Central Coast’s push for an unlikely comeback lasted just nine minutes as centre-back Álvaro found the back of the net for the second time in Gosford to haul his side back into the ascendancy.
Picked out by Heberty, Álvaro spun in the air to meet the delivery and divert his header off the left-hand goalpost and over the line.
Having conceded a second goal to JDT, the Mariners suffered one final injury blow before the full-time whistle confirmed their 2-1 defeat when Doka was hit in the head from close range by Bérgson who had attempted to switch the play in midfield.
