Nick Montgomery has praised his side’s young reinforcements after they helped lift an undermanned Central Coast Mariners to a 4-2 win over Macarthur FC in the A-League Men.
REACTION: Birighitti superb once again – ‘how has he not been called up to the Socceroos?’
Despite missing a number of regular starters to injury and backing up from a mid-week trip to Perth, the Mariners proved far too strong for a disappointing Bulls side at Mudgee’s Glen Willow Stadium on Saturday.
Without the likes of Oli Bozanic, Beni N’Kololo, and Dan Hall and forced to substitute Harry McCarthy in just the 18th minute, the Mariners rode a brace from Marco Urena and goals from Matt Hatch and Noah Smith to claim a win which moves them to eighth on the ALM table.
Following Urena’s 27th minute opener, Milicic made a triple substitution; setting a new national league record for the earliest such change in the process.
“Did you watch the first 30 minutes?” he said.
“I didn’t think it would get better from the 30th to the 45th minute.
“Coaches generally like to wait until half-time because it doesn’t cost them a (substitution) window, but what I saw in the first 30 minutes I was disappointed with more so… the intensity, I thought we needed to change a few things and bring on some fresh personnel.”
Briefly able to tie things up through Adrian Mariappa’s late first-half effort after Urena’s opener, the fifth-placed Bulls could only watch on as the Mariners kicked away; rendering a late flurry in which Lachlan Rose netted purely a consolation.
“We just thought we looked off the pace,” said Bulls boss Ante Milicic.
“We looked slow. We were getting done too often in transition and in the end, we just put in a disappointing performance.
“We got it wrong, I got it wrong. That’s something that I’ve got to have a look at, whether it was the selection or what we did during the week.
“But with a seven-day turnaround, that’s the most disappointing part of it.”
McCarthy left Mudgee in a moonboot and will have scans, but Montgomery is hopeful that a seven-day break before a visit from Adelaide will give some injured players sufficient time to return.
“A massive effort. Well deserved,” Montgomery said.
“I’ve got more belief in these young boys, they’ve got a lot of character. I’ve worked with them for the last couple of years in the NPL.
“The good thing is we’ve got a seven-day break and hopefully we should have some boys back in the squad.
“But when the boys perform like that, I’ve always been fair, if you put the performances in, you stay in the team.”
RE-LIVE: MARINERS 4-2 BULLS
By Matt Comito for KEEPUP.
FULL-TIME: MARINERS 4-2 BULLS
A fast start to the second half helped the Mariners surge to a 4-2 win over Macarthur at Glen Willow Regional Sports Complex.
That’s 11 goals conceded in four games from the Bulls in a concerning sight for Bulls boss Milicic, whose triple substitution on the half-hour mark was the earliest in the history of the Australian men’s professional game.
90′: Huge save from Birighitti ‘one of the best you’ll see’ (4-2)
Mark Birighitti has been at his busiest late on; and with Macarthur attacking from a corner routine the Mariners gloveman pulled off a masterful save to prevent the Bulls from closing to within one goal in Mudgee.
“That is one of the saves of the season from Mark Birighitti,” said Paramount+ commentator Ben Homer, “That’s the best you’ll see.”
Co-commentator Daniel Georgievski added: “That is a world class save – how has he not been called up for the Socceroos?”
88′: GOAL! Rose nicks in at the back post to score for Bulls (4-2)
A pinpoint cross off the right flank from Craig Noone was met at the back post by Lachie Rose, who didn’t have to break stride to head the ball into the back of the net.
Macarthur are now just two goals behind, but with a matter of minutes left on the clock it appears a case of too little, too late from the away side.
82′: GOAL! VAR check grants Ureña a double (4-1)
It’s party time in Mudgee for the Mariners!
A weak clearance from Mariappa inside Macarthur’s defensive box fell kindly to Cummings, who fed Ureña to lift the ball over Kurto.
The offside flag was raised in the aftermath – however a lengthy check found there was no Mariners player in an illegal position at any stage in the build-up as the hosts went 4-1 ahead.
57′: GOAL! Smith sends Mariners on their way to victory (3-1)
The Mariners have flown out of the blocks in the second half, with Hatch putting the hosts ahead before Smith bombed down the left flank to dink his shot over the outrushing Kurto and make it 3-1.
Cummings played Smith into the box, who appeared to attempt to lift the ball into Ureña’s path at the near post. Ureña and Mariappa collided, with the latter crashing into the post as the ball somehow evaded a touch, handing Smith his maiden Isuzu UTE A-League goal.
48′: Hatch makes the instant impact (2-1)
Just like Ureña, Hatch has come off the Mariners bench to put his side ahead, with one of his first touches of the game.
Three minutes after replacing Goddard at the break, Hatch tucked a first-time shot into the back of the net after a Noah Smith corner missed a pack of bodies surrounding the penalty area.
46′: SECOND HALF (1-1)
Matt Hatch has entered the fray for the Mariners, replacing Cy Goddard at the break as the home side look to add more pace to their attack in the second half.
HALF-TIME: MARINERS 1-1 BULLS
A late Mariappa equaliser cancelled out Ureña’s opener as the two teams head into the break on level terms.
45’+1′: Mariappa tucks home the equaliser from close range (1-1)
Tomislav Uskok went unchallenged by Mariners defenders in the box with a high ball dropping from a late Bulls corner.
The ball was allowed to fall to ground by the Mariners defenders and the deflected ball fell directly to Mariappa, who slotted the ball home from inside the six-yard box.
30′: Triple sub for Macarthur… in the first half! (1-0)
With less than half an hour played in Mudgee, Macarthur head coach Ante Milicic has pulled the trigger on a triple substitution.
OFF
- Moudi Najjar
- Aleksandar Jovanovic
- Charles M’Mombwa
ON
- Lachlan Rose
- Jake Hollman
- Aleksandar Šušnjar
27′: GOAL! Ureña off the bench, and onto the scoresheet! (1-0)
Marco Ureña has scored less than 10 minutes after his early introduction off the bench, sliding in to tuck home Cummings’ cross off the left flank.
The goal ends Ureña’s nine-game goal drought – his longest in the Isuzu UTE A-League.
22′: Cummings looking dangerous early doors (0-0)
Filip Kurto has come to the rescue for the Bulls, standing tall to deny Cummings a near certain goal from close range.
Cummings beat the offside trap to dart down the left flank into the box; he did himself no favours with his run toward goal which narrowed the angle, allowing Kurto to get off his line and parry the left-footed shot out for a corner.
18′: McCarthy’s starting debut ends prematurely (0-0)
Harry McCarthy is off 18 minutes into his maiden Isuzu UTE A-League start, succumbing to an early injury in his right leg.
Marco Ureña was on the bench for this clash; his unexpected entrance into the fray in the first half would not have been the plan for the Costa Rican – but having Ureña’s class on the park could be a massive benefit to the home side.
6′: Cummings sparking danger for the Mariners (0-0)
Moudi Najjar was forced to concede a corner to the Mariners after Jason Cummings worked his way into the box to fire a dangerous cross into the six-yard box.
1′: KICK-OFF (0-0)
We’re underway in Mudgee!
