Central Coast has signed Welsh midfielder Matthew Crowell for the rest of the season.
Crowell impressed in his trial with the Mariners in the pre-season, but returned to England to honour a pre-existing contract with Blue Square Premier Division side Altrincham.
Coach Lawrie McKinna was keen to sign the 25-year-old after classy performances in friendly wins over Queensland State League side Logan United and Hyundai A-League newcomer North Queensland.
“Matt was really good for us in Queensland and he’s come back in and he fits in really well at training. He gets on well with the lads and has a bit of a presence about him, so we’re looking forward to seeing how he does,” McKinna said.
“He’s a youth international and has done very well in the UK, so we hope he can come in and provide a bit of extra spark in the midfield.”
Predominantly a defensive midfielder, Cowell will be out to impress in the hopes of securing a contract beyond this season, but McKinna wasn’t looking too far in the future.
“We’ll see how he goes and we don’t need to make any decisions just yet, I’m just looking forward to seeing how he goes on the park and not worrying about anything too far ahead,” he said.
Cowell is a chance to make his debut in the Mariners’ match against Wellington at Westpac Stadium on Sunday.
