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Smash & Grab For a First Win A-League Season 2005-06 - Round 3 
 lost to New Zealand Knights 2 (Simon Yeo 66', Sean Devine 79')
New Zealand Knights grabbed their first win and first points in the league with a smash and grab raid that breached the formerly impregnable Mariners defence twice - running out 2-0 winners at Gosford tonight in front of another disappointing crowd on 5,231.
After doing well for 70 mins against Sydney at home last week NZ the fitness of the New Zealand team was still unclear, and they even brought an injured Danny Hay as an extra to the team, and they gambled at the last moment - including him and starting him.
Central Coast Mariners still struggle to get their key players - playmaker Tom Pondeljak, and striker Nick Mrdja - fit and their absence in this game underscores the fine line teams tread in this competition - with thin squads and salary caps.
The visitors started well, pushing forward from the start rather than being tentative. They had a great chance in the 2nd minute when
they forced a free kick just outside the Mariners goal area on the left. Steve Fitzsimmons curled a the kick through the defensive line to the far side, and Danny Hay headed back onto the left upright, giving the home side a let-off.
The Central Coast lifted their tempo and twice in the space of two minutes they got into the NZ goal area with the defence outmanouvered, but could not get the ball cleanly onto a team-mate.
The chances kept coming to the locals, with one of the best in the first half being a Noel Spencer 20m shot, that Danny Milosevic parried but only to Stewart Petrie who was on the ground. The striker did well to get a header in from that inclination, however Milosevic thwarted the attempt again.
In the 32nd minute NZ had a great opportunity when Joshua Rose gained the ball from a Mariners indecision in midfield and he slipped the ball to Zenon Caravella. The shot curled just wide past the left upright with Crawley unable to cover.
The Mariners continued to dominate possession but were unable to get a telling shot in on target.
Andre Gumprecht was trying hard to take the game by the 'scruff of the neck' and just before half-time he made a surging run into the goal area from the right, curling a shot on target, that Milosevic parried. Adam Kwasnik gathered it but his shot was saved.
As the second half got under way the Mariners dominated again, with the former Blacktown City pairing of Petrie and Kwasnik battling but not getting through the NZ defence, being marshalled so ably by 'that man' Danny Hay.
It looked like it might be a draw, unless the Central Coast could improve their final ball, until the 66th minute when NZ substitute striker Simon Yeo outran and outjumped Andrew Clark to get to a huge Milosevic kick up field. With Crawley off his line it was a looping header from Yeo that found the back of the net. 0-1
With this wind in their sails the Knights brought on more substitutions - speedster Zhang Xiaobin immediately had a chance.
Petrie got the best chance for the Mariners in the half in the 70th minute shooting on target but unable to beat Milosevic.
Pushing up for an equaliser the Mariners uncharacteristally lost their shape at the back and let in substitute Sean Devine who beat the defence to a long ball and angled a shot past Crawley. 0-2
Central Coast had been disrupted by the loss of Matt Osman in the 23rd minute, who looked like going on from his excellent perfomance the week before causing problems down the left, when he suffered groin strain. The changes wrought by coach Lawrie McKinna in this game didn't pay off, with the substitution of Dean Heffernan with Leo Carle after the first goal not leading to an equaliser but rather disrupted the defence and did not cover a second breakaway that ended in a goal.
Mariners coach Lawrie McKinna was candid after the game, ruing the many chances made but not taken by his team. He indicated that they just had to knuckle down and focus on the game next Friday in Sydney.
The NZ coach John Adshead thanked the club for backing him in bringing Danny Hay over - a gamble that worked as his injury did not hamper his man of the match performance, breaking up or deflecting attack after attack. Adshead emphasised that they would need 4-5 games to get the side together, claiming he did not know yet who his best 11 is!
A-League Season 2005-06 - Round 3 Crowd: 5,231
MATCH STATS:
Central Coast Mariners FC
Coach: Lawrie McKinna
Yellow Cards:
Adam Kwasnik 12', Andrew Clark 42' New Zealand Knights FC
: Coach: John Adshead
Yellow Cards:
Danny Hay 12', Ronnie Bull 17' Referee: Ben Williams 6/10 Pitch rating: 9/10 Game rating: 6/10 Best Players
:
3. Danny Hay (NZ) Match
Report by Chris Dunkerley
Disclaimer: The content of this report is the responsibility of the writer. Stats are either as recorded by the writer at the game, or as supplied by FFA, or a mixture - no responsibility can be taken for their compete accuracy although we do strive for that. FFA has not this season accredited any Photographers for BOTN, so any photos used here, if unattributed, are as supplied by FFA and used by permission.
Crafted
lovingly by hand |
