Ahead of their final home match of the regular season, Brisbane Roar’s Danish midfielder Thomas Kristensen has stressed the importance of not letting their Hyundai A-League finals charge slip in Saturday’s clash with the struggling Central Coast Mariners.
Roar are a solitary point outside the top six with three matches to play, battling it out with Western Sydney Wanderers and Perth Glory for the final spot in the playoffs.
With two away trips to round out the regular season, Kristensen admits an invaluable three points are a must against the Mariners at Suncorp Stadium.
“There are three teams competing for one place and all of them can say right now that their destiny is in their own hands,” Kristensen said.
“We know we have three important games to finish the season, and if we don’t win on Saturday, maybe it’s no longer in our hands.
“We need a good performance this weekend, secure the three points and heap the pressure on the other teams competing for finals.”
Roar closed the gap on the sixth-placed Wanderers to a solitary point with a 2-2 draw against the Phoenix in Wellington, which extended Brisbane’s unbeaten streak to four matches.
Kristensenpicked a great time to net his first goal of the season, poking home from close range to draw the Roar level in the second-half.
With five wins from the last eight Hyundai A-League matches, and players beginning to hit their stride, Kristensen says there is belief within the group that they can beat any opponent on their day.
“The team is feeling good and we believe that we can beat anyone,” he said.
“They [Mariners] have a new coach who wants to prove himself as well as players who are playing for contracts, just like at every other club.
“If we can make it difficult for them, the fact they have nothing to play for may become a factor, but we’re expecting a tough test.”
