A 10-man Central Coast drew 1-1 with Newcastle Jets in a thrilling F3 Derby at Hunter Stadium on Saturday.
What they said
“Until we had a man sent off there was only one team in it. We dominated, we were forcing corners. We had a man sent off, if anyone questions the character of this team they have to look at performance.
“We showed a lot of heart to go right til the end, pushed a lot of bodies forward and I think a point is what we deserved.”
– Mariners Captain Nick Montgomery told Fox Sports
Goals
Jets: 83rd min: Dave Carney’s beautiful curling corner and the Serbian striker Milos Trifunovic powered his header home past Paul Izzo.
CCM: 93′ min A free kick floated in and Izzo caused havoc before sub Matt Sim popped up to slot home a loose ball for his first goal in the A-League.
Key moments
- Mark Birighitti’s point blank save just after half time to deny Central Coast striker Roy O’Donovan. Brilliant.
- Mariners had a good penalty shout on 21 minutes. Referee Kris Griffiths-Jones adjudged it just outside the box. They squandered the subsequent set piece and three minutes later Jake McGing gets a red card for a foul on Jets’ Leonardo.
Opta Data key stats
Total passes: Jets 459 CCM 303
Highlights reel
Anthony Caceres. The Mariner is a joy to watch and will only get better under the Walmsley attack-minded game plan.
Coach killer
A Mariners red card inside the first 25 minutes, not what Tony Walmsley needed in such a big game.
Treatment table
Leonardo was stretchered off after the McGing red card. It didn’t look good but the Jets playmaker wasn’t taken to the hospital for scans, as initially suggested.
The Final Word
The Mariners showed their class with a brilliant comeback with 10 men for most of the game, while the Jets will wonder how they didn’t win this one. Mariners took the honours in this draw.
Teams
Newcastle Jets
(4-2-3-1): Birighitti (GK); Lee, Jackson, Boogaard (C), Hoffman; Watson (Cowburn 75’), Leonardo (Pavicevic 27’); Alivodic, Poljak, Carney; Trifunovic.
Subs: Kennedy (GK), Pawiak, Lundy, Pavicevic, Cowburn.
Central Coast
(4-4-2): Izzo (GK); McGing (red card 24’), Poscoliero, Roux, J Rose; Fitzgerald, Montgomery (C), Caceres, Austin (Sim 79’); Heffernan (Bingham 45’), O’Donovan.
Subs: Pearce (GK), Kalik, L Rose, Bingham, Sim.
Red cards: CCM: McGing 24’
Yellow cards: CCM: Caceres 33’ Jets: Watson 37’, Hoffman 54’, Pavicevic 75’
Conditions: Overcast then rainy, 21 degrees
Attendance: 9,422
