Central Coast Mariners talisman Matt Simon celebrated his 200th A-League game against Melbourne City on Wednesday night in the best way possible: with a goal, assist and three points wrapped up in front of a buzzing Mariners crowd and his adoring family.
The 35-year-old scored the second of the Mariners’ three goals as they surged from a two-goal deficit to win 3-2 at Central Coast Stadium, displaying the relentless positivity, aggression and team-oriented expected from the rejuvenated Gosford side.
The entertaining display put Simon’s best attributes on show as he assisted Jaden Casella’s first ever A-League goal, winning and converting a penalty and performing in a fearsome double-pronged attack alongside 19-year-old Alou Kuol as the Mariners wrestled the ascendancy in the second half.
It was an occasion built for Simon’s uniquely aggressive approach to football to shine, and with the eyes of his family, friends and fans watching the show unfold, Simon couldn’t help but open up to the emotions of it all.
“It was a huge night,” Simon admitted to FOX Sports post-match.
“It didn’t really hit me, the milestone, until I got to the ground where the club had organised a function beforehand… it sort of hit me then, just before I went into the change room, that it was a pretty big game.
MATCH REPORT: Central Coast Mariners 3-2 Melbourne City
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“I’m just happy that we could get the result in the end, I think the boys put in a huge effort and I think we deserved the three points in the end.
“I thought we were ok in the game, I think it was just a couple of moments that killed us.
“I was hoping we could come back and show the resilience we have at the start of the year, I think before we might have dropped our heads and it could have been anything but I think the goal came at a good time, just before half-time, and we were worthy of that goal.
“We spoke at half time that we just needed to keep going, I think it was five chances to two to us in the first half, so if we kept playing the way we were playing in the first half I knew we were going to get on top.”
And get on top they did, thanks to a second-half flurry of attacking pressure which ultimately led to an equaliser scored by Simon from the spot, and a winner struck in stunning fashion off the boot of Daniel De Silva.
De Sivla’s goal wrote the headlines but it was Simon’s celebration shared with his daughter which rivals the winning strike as the highlight of the contest.
“The [shaka celebration] is a shoutout to my young daughter who was born in Hawaii,” Simon said.
“It’s [been] one of my favourite years playing in front of my family and my kids.
“They understand what dad’s job is now, and obviously the shaka is a ‘mahalo’ [Hawaiian for ‘thanks, gratitude’] to my daughter. Hopefully I can keep scoring goals so I can keep waving to her.”
An incredibly touching moment on an emotional night for @CCMariners legend Matt Simon 👏 #ALeague
MORE: https://t.co/9PcH6YyB9L pic.twitter.com/48JU6fx5lV
— Fox Football (@FOXFOOTBALL) February 3, 2021
The win took the Mariners to top of the A-League table on four wins from six games to start the campaign, continuing their marvellous run to start the season.
But on an exciting night in Gosford for so many reasons there was no taking the spotlight off of Simon, who received a glowing tribute from FOX Sports presenter Andy Harper post-match.
“To turn up tonight as a local junior, he was a [plasterer] just desperate to be a footballer, [to do] anything to be a footballer,” Harper said.
“He broke through under [former Mariners boss] Lawrie McKinna. 200 games later, he’s beating one of the competition’s favourites and leading the way for his team with his family watching, setting up the first goal, scoring the second goal.
“A telling contribution of great leadership and really strong character.
Despite the opinions people might form watching him play, there’s not a former teammate of his who you’ll find speaking ill of him.
A very, very cherished member of every dressing room he’s been in.”