Central Coast skipper Alex Wilkinson is adamant his side can make an impact when the Mariners begin their first ever Asian Champions League campaign at Gosford on Wednesday night.
The Mariners face off against Korean FA Cup winners Pohang Steelers at Bluetongue Stadium and Wilkinson cannot wait for one of the biggest matches in the club’s history.
After a miserable end to their Hyundai A-League campaign and some disappointing results in friendly matches during the past two weeks, the Mariners will need a major form turnaround to match it with Asia’s best during the next two months.
But Wilkinson has no doubt his team ‘will lift’ and rediscover its best form.
“How we ended our A-League season was disappointing but that’s all forgotten now, we’ve moved on,” he said.
“Everyone is excited about playing in the Champions League and we’re pretty determined to do well. We’ve got a few new players in the team since the A-League and they’ve all fitted in well.”
“There’s a confidence in the camp.”
Wilkinson said preparing for the clash against the Steelers has not been easy because the Mariners no very little about the visitors.
“I’d prefer to know a bit more about them but that’s the nature of this competition, they probably don’t know too much about us,” Wilkinson said.
“Hopefully Lawrie (Mariners coach Lawrie McKinna) will get to watch them on video before the game. I think most teams in the Champions League will be happy with a draw away from home, that would be a good result for them on Wednesday night.”
“From our point of view we’re focused on getting a win and giving ourselves the ideal start in front of our fans.”
