Central Coast Mariners will feature in the finals series for the second season running, confirming their top-six status with a 2-0 win over Brisbane Roar at Moreton Daily Stadium on Tuesday night.
Full-back Lewis Miller scored his maiden Isuzu UTE A-League goal to put the Mariners ahead, before 17-year-old Garang Kuol struck truly for the fourth time in seven games to put the result beyond doubt.
MATCH REPORT: KUOL SCORES AGAIN AS MARINERS SECURE FINALS
The win sends Nick Montgomery’s side clear of Sydney FC, the only side capable of breaching the top six by the season’s end. Central Coast are now eight points ahead of the Sky Blues with just two games left for the eight-placed side to play.
Sydney’s only hope now is for Wellington to accrue no more than one point from their remaining two fixtures. The Phoenix have away games against Western Sydney and Melbourne City still to come; a draw and defeat for Wellington would allow Sydney to jump into the top six on goal difference with wins in their remaining games against Melbourne Victory (Saturday) and Brisbane (Tuesday, May 10).
Seventh-placed Macarthur FC are out of contention, trailing the Phoenix by four points with just one game left to play.
‘Everyone wrote us off’: How Mariners fulfilled Monty’s pre-season prophecy
A defiant Nick Montgomery was quick to hail his ready-made Mariners academy stars in the aftermath of his side’s finals-securing win over Brisbane, as his squad ticked off the second of its two pre-season targets in style.
“Im delighted,” the Mariners head coach told the press post-match. “I’ve said it numerous times, we set ourselves a target at the start of the year: to get as far as we could in the FFA Cup – and we made the final… but also to get into the top six.
“Everybody wrote us off at the start of the year before we’d even kicked a ball. (We) lost Matty Simon, lost Alou Kuol, it’s virtually a new team this year bar one or two… I had full belief in the young boys I’ve coached the last couple of years, and I think they’ve been the nucleus to the squad with a couple of experienced boys around.
“Bringing in Jason Cummings to give us an extra striker in January was massive for us, because we only had Moresche and Marcos (Urena) all season up until that point.”
Montgomery will now prepare his side for one last test in the regular season: an F3 Derby bout with Newcastle at home on Saturday evening, before turning his attention to the finals series – his first as a manager in his maiden campaign at the Mariners helm.
“For me, I wanted to become a coach, I know the club really well and I knew I’d spent a couple of years building the foundation in the academy to develop players,” Montgomery said.
“For me I don’t see them as young players, they’re A-League players and as long as I’m at the club I’ll make sure we continue to give them opportunities to shine like they have all season. I think it’s testament to all of them.”
Mariners season a tale of two halves
At the midway point of the 2021-22 campaign, it seemed as though the Mariners – a side struggling to see out games and hold onto points – would struggle to contend for a spot in the top six.
That was before a mid-season swing in momentum, which has seen Montgomery’s side mount a charge up the table, and figure as one of the teams to fear heading into the finals:
RE-LIVE: BRISBANE ROAR 0-2 CENTRAL COAST, AS IT HAPPENED
86′: RED CARD! Neville dismissed (0-2)
The Roar are down to 10 men after a challenge from Scott Neville on Nicolai Muller, leaping off the ground as he slid in to win the ball and catching the ankle of the Mariners’ German midfielder.
78′: Hall injury a concern for Mariners (0-2)
Mariners centre-back is helped from the pitch after a collision in the penalty area. It’s an unwanted sight for Mariners fans, who have revelled in Hall’s performances at the heart of defence alongside Rowles throughout the season.
The Mariners continue with 10 men after exhausting their substitute allocation earlier in the half.
63′: GOAL! Kuol can’t stop scoring (0-2)
He’s done it again! Garang Kuol, at 17 years of age, continues to flourish in his maiden A-League Men’s campaign.
The teenage sensation has his fourth goal of the season – combining with Storm Roux down the right flank to bury a strike low into the bottom-left corner, sending the Mariners cruising in the second half.
Brother Alou watched on from Germany with interest as his younger brother’s purple patch rolled on:
56′: Birighitti denies Parsons from point-blank range (0-1)
That was the best chance of the game for the Roar to date, with Mileusnic picking out Parsons inside the six-yard box to send an effort on goal.
If he picked either side of Birighitti it was a sure goal, but Parson’s close-range shot was fired straight at the Mariners gloveman who made a strong save to retain his clean sheet.
46′: Second half begins (0-1)
Luke Ivanovic and Nikola Mileusnic come on for the Roar at the break, with Hnery Hore and Cyrus Dehmie making way. Mileusnic comes on for his 100th A-League Men’s appearance.
For the visitors, Harrison Steele takes the place of Max Balard in midfield.
HALF-TIME: ROAR 0-1 MARINERS
The Roar had all the majority of the chances – but the Mariners had the cutting edge, with Miller’s goal the difference at the break.
40′: GOAL! Miller puts Mariners ahead (0-1)
Lewis Miller has his maiden Isuzu UTE A-League goal, heading the Mariners into the lead with a delightful Cy Goddard cross off the left flank finding the head of his right-back at the back post.
34′: CHANCE! Birighitti saves (0-0)
A botched clearance from Kye Rowles hit the back of teammate Josh Nisbet, falling to Roar forward Alex Parsons who turned outside the box and whipped a strike toward goal.
Parsons shot looked set to nestle into the back of the net, but Mariners keeper Mark Birighitti got across to make the save.
15′: Nothing to split the two sides (0-0)
The hosts enjoyed the best of possession in the opening stages of this Tuesday night clash, but neither side has fashioned a genuine chance on goal through the opening quarter hour.
1′: KICK-OFF (0-0)
We’re underway at Moreton Daily Stadium in this high stakes affair between the Roar and Mariners!
TEAM NEWS
The pre-game finals equation
There’s just one week to go until the end of the regular season – but everything to play for as the competition reaches a dramatic conclusion.
Here’s what’s on the line in the run home:
- Three teams aim for top two, Premiership
- Three teams gun for fourth, home final
- Three teams fight for last two finals spots
- Two players in Golden Boot race
Check out the finals permutations below.
