“This club is built on hard work and being the underdog,” former Central Coast Mariners head coach Nick Montgomery said back in 2023.
This, was a win against the odds.
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On Sunday, Moon saw his Mariners stun Australia Cup champions Newcastle. After returning Socceroo Andrew Redmayne’s incredible 97th-minute penalty save – a moment 15 years in the making, Nicolas Duarte went up the other end and scored.
“I think we’ll surprise a few teams this year. We’ve been written off but we have youthful energy in bucket loads,” Redmayne told Paramount+.
“I think a lot of teams have to watch out for us.”
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“It’s a special group here. The team really reflects the community here on the Central Coast. The change room is pretty special. I think this will galvanise us more,” he added.
Amid the doubts, we’ve seen this Mariners story before.
For so long, the Mariners were in the wilderness before ending a 10-year drought in 2023.
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Before Nick Montgomery overhauled the club, Central Coast languished at the foot of the Isuzu UTE A-League for years – four wooden spoons in six seasons with just 26 wins in that span.
Then, Montgomery and Co. guided the Gosford club to their first Championship in a decade. Despite operating on the lowest budget in the competition, Central Coast defied the odds in a breath-taking 6-1 mauling of star-studded Melbourne City.
It was a fairytale run build on investing in youth. That emphasis on youth delivered silverware. It also provided a pathway abroad – just look at the likes of Nectar Triantis, Garang Kuol, Max Balard, Jacob Farrell, Josh Nisbet and others.
No one expected Central Coast to break through two years ago and no one expected them to back it up the following season, having lost Triantis, Sammy Silvera, Jason Cummings and coaching mastermind Montgomery to overseas.
Not only did the Mariners defend their crown but they claimed an historic treble.
There are question marks around Central Coast this season. However, when it comes to the Gosford club, underestimate them at your peril.
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“I was impressed with that from the first moment I walked in the door,” Moon told Paramount+ of Central Coast’s spirit against Newcastle.
“It was evident to me. I was a player day one of the A-League and I remember the Mariners then and what they were all about. It’s still evident today, walking in the door now and seeing club legends.
“There’s a real togetherness in this place. Ups and downs they have, but you can see it and I’ve seen it this week and I saw it today.”
