The smiles have returned to Gosford and Paul Okon is determined to keep them on his players’ faces.
A 1-0 victory over Wellington in their last match snapped an 11-game winless streak and kept alive the Mariners’ top six chances.
“It’s amazing what a win does,” said Okon ahead of his side’s visit to Perth Glory on Saturday night.
“The plan is to try and get another win as soon as possible to continue smiling.
“The attitude and energy have been great. We continue to work as hard as we can even though it’s getting later on in the season we’re not taking our foot off the pedal,” he said.
Saturday’s clash is crucial for both sides’ hopes of being involved in the Hyundai A-League 2017/18 Finals Series.
Find out who's in contention to make the trip to Western Australia to take on Perth!
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— Central Coast Mariners (@CCMariners) March 8, 2018
A win would take the Mariners above Perth and depending on Western Sydney’s result against Wellington, could close the gap on the top six to just four points.
“Every game is difficult in the A-League,” said Okon.
“Any team can beat any team on their day and we’ve seen that this season.
“There’s always a challenge and the challenge on Saturday is Perth Glory.
“I’m expecting that we go there with the same attitude we’ve had all season and that’s to try and get three points.
“It’s a tough place and a long trip but we’re confident in the way we prepare for these long travels that we’ll be ready to go come kick-off time.”