The Central Coast Mariners overran the AIS 4-0 in their week 13 National Youth League match at the AIS Athletics Track on Saturday afternoon.
The Central Coast Mariners overran the AIS 4-0 in their week 13 National Youth League match at the AIS Athletics Track on Saturday afternoon.
The Mariners capitalised on a strong second half where they netted all four goals in a 32-minute purple patch as the AIS ran out of legs on a hot Canberra day.
It was a deserved win as they had looked the better team all day but failed to turn possession into goals as their early chances went begging.
The AIS barely worked the ball into their half in the first 10 minutes and their situation was compounded when they lost key defender Jack Green after 12 minutes to a broken leg.
But they started to play their way into the game with possession football, as the Mariners’ chances dried up and the ball was locked in the midfield.
The Mariners had an injury blow of their own when Hayden Morton was subbed off after fell awkwardly after a header.
Soon after they had their best chance of the game when Nicholas Littlers long ball fell to Mitchell Duke behind the defence, but he could only manage a tame shot which Jordan Thurtell covered easily.
Both teams struggled to trouble the scoresheet for the remainder of the half, before in injury time Thurtell only just beat Justin Hayward to a through ball, which he spilled, and pounced on again.
Then the AIS nearly stole the lead in the dying seconds of the half when Bright Appiah chested down a Michael Taurasi cross and cracked a shot which Dylan Mitchell managed to block.
Central Coast burst out of the blocks again in the second half and this time they reaped the rewards.
Firstly on the counter attack they had a three-on-two, and Duke headed over to Hayward who dribbled to his left and put a well hit shot past Thurtell.
Duke netted their second on 60 minutes when he stole the ball from Jakob Williams close to goal and finished well.
Substitute Jordan Farina put the result beyond doubt when he was inexcusably left unmarked by three defenders and headed in from close range.
Then Nicholas Littler put the final nail in the AIS coffin the 82nd minute when the tall defender rose above the pack to head in Nikola Stanojevic’s corner.
Central Coast 4 (Hayward 50m, Duke 60m, Farina 72m, Littler 82m)
AIS 0
