Central Coast Mariners’ Hyundai A-League 2013/14 pre-season campaign got underway with a 2-1 defeat to Central Coast Mariners Academy at Pluim Park, Lisarow on Tuesday evening.
Central Coast Mariners- Hyundai A-League 2013/14 pre-season campaign got underway with a 2-1 defeat to Central Coast Mariners Academy at Pluim Park, Lisarow on Tuesday evening.
A well taken 26th minute goal to former Sydney FC and North Queensland Fury striker Chris Payne combined with a strike from the impressive Adam Woodbine in the 52nd minute was enough to see the Club-s Academy mens team win the friendly duel.
Central Coast midfielder Nick Fitzgerald coolly converted an opportunity one-on-one with the Academy-s second half custodian Jordan Nikoloski in the 72nd minute to give Graham Arnold-s side hope of levelling the match before full-time.
However Mark Jones- determined Central Coast Mariners Academy team held firm to record a trial match triumph over their sister side.
Following the game Central Coast Mariners Assistant Coach, Phil Moss, said that the result against the Academy outfit was irrelevant to the Club-s main objective of being ready to rumble come Hyundai A-League round one against Western Sydney Wanderers.
“We got everything out of tonight that we really wanted,” Moss said. “Of course you want to win every game that you play in but we worked the boys very hard with a double session yesterday, and we worked them reasonably hard this morning on the training pitch as well, so they were playing under fatigue.”
“We were happy with the hit out (and) full credit to Central Coast Mariners Academy – Mark Jones and the Academy gave us a great hit out.”
“Tonight was about looking at players, seeing where they are at, getting some minutes into the legs of boys that we have on our roster, and moving forward,” he said.
Mariners boss Graham Arnold played two largely different teams in each half, with a total of 22 players stepping onto the pitch for the reigning Hyundai A-League Champions.
New Club recruits Marcos Flores (first 45), Marcel Seip, Storm Roux and Tom Slater (all second 45) saw their first minutes in the yellow and navy, while returning Mariners marksman Matt Simon also featured in the second stanza.
Central Coast Mariners Academy 2 (Chris Payne 26-, Adam Woodbine 52-)
Central Coast Mariners 1 (Nick Fitzgerald 72-)
Pluim Park, Lisarow
