Central Coast coach Lawrie McKinna has urged his players to prove its shock Round 1 win over Melbourne was no fluke with another big performance against Hyundai A-League rivals Newcastle on Friday night.
The Mariners caused a major upset when they beat the defending champions 2-0 at Etihad Stadium in the first match of the season on Thursday night.
Many experts predicted Melbourne would score a resounding win against the Mariners.
McKinna said the negative comments inspired his players to turn in one of the best performances in the club’s history.
Central Coast’s job now is to back up that effort with another strong showing against Newcastle at Bluetongue Stadium.
“Everyone was on our backs about not winning this year but I knew we had the ability to win that match,” McKinna said.
“It was a huge effort, I was very proud of the players.”
“But it means nothing unless we back up and get a result against Newcastle on Friday night.”
“We need to be just as strong as we were in Melbourne. If we get another good result it’s a great start to the season for us and give us something to build on.”
A key to the success in Round 1 was the strong display by defenders Alex Wilkinson, Chris Doig, Nigel Boogaard and Dean Heffernan, who all frustrated Melbourne’s star-studded front line.
Doig, a former Nottingham Forest defender, came off with a minor leg injury in the second half but is expected to play against the Jets.
His partnership with captain Wilkinson is shaping as a key factor in the team’s title charge.
McKinna was also full of praise for attacking midfielder Adam Kwasnik, who was heavily involved in many attacking forays last week and will again look to test the defence against Newcastle.
