A Dimitri Petratos screamer and Jamie Maclaren header were enough to overcome a goal by Roy O’Donovan to see Brisbane Roar take all three points against the Central Coast Mariners.
Central Coast Mariners 1 (O’Donovan 57’) Brisbane Roar 2 (Petratos 33’ & Maclaren 76’)
The Run Down
After a disappointing result away to Wellington Phoenix last week, the Mariners were eager to make amends at home to Brisbane Roar on Sunday afternoon, all while trading their beloved Yellow and Navy for the traditional Yellow and Red to say thanks to our Surf Life Savers on the Coast.
The ‘Yellow & Red’ welcomed back Club Captain Nick Montgomery who returned from a two-week injury lay off and showed no signs of stress, settling straight back into the pace of things, continuing to pull the strings in the middle of the park.
As the game started to flow, both sides could’ve broken the deadlock with Brisbane’s Jack Hingert striking the crossbar in the 20th minute, and Roar’s shot stopper Theo bravely denying Roy Donovan a minute later. It was end to end action in Gosford!
Unfortuantely it was the away side who took the lead in the 33rd minute with a stunning dead ball effort outside the area. However, the hand ball call that resulted in the free-kick was met with controversy with many spectators arguing the opposite.
Although the Mariners found themselves a goal behind they wouldn’t be deterred at home and Roy O’Donovan pounced on the end of some impressive build up play by Montgomery and Fabio Ferreira.
With the Mariners pushing men forward in a desperate effort to take the lead, Brisbane doubled their lead when Broich picked out Maclaren on the back stick where the young attacker headed home.
Despite exciting moments in the final stages that saw the Mariners come close to equalising Brisbane left Gosford with all three points.
The Mariners now face a challenging three weeks that will see them face Melbourne Victory (away), Melbourne City (home on New Year’s Eve) and Sydney FC (home on January 8).
Goals
33’ PETRATOS GOAL: Brisbane Roar took the lead in the 33RD minute thanks to a world class free kick from Brisbane Midfielder Dimitri Petratos, from just outside the penalty area giving Paul Izzo no chance.
57’ O’DONOVAN GOAL: The Mariners levelled the ledger in the 57th minute when Fabio Ferreira found thre feet of a charging Roy O’Donovan with a pinpoint through ball. O’Donovan still had plenty to do and scooted through the Roar back four to calmly shoot past Theo.
76’ MACLAREN GOAL: Brisbane regained their lead in the 76th minute when substitute Thomas Broich found the head of Jamie Maclaren in the six-yard-box who headed home with ease.
Paolo in the press
“Maybe a draw would’ve been a fair result, we are a bit disappointed with the result but we kept going until the last minute,” Okon said. “The effort was there and in the final third we were a bigger threat in respect to last week and we worked on that during the week.
“We set up a little differently tonight but the first goal is a wonderful free kick and the second goal we lost the ball in transition and as Thomas does, he puts in a peach of a cross and all Maclaren has to do is head it home. We had our moments but it wasn’t to be and we leave here with no points.
“We gave the ball away a little bit too much when we weren’t under pressure and allowed them to get out of dangerous situations and take away the pressure from them. The more you give it back to them, they’re going to make you chase. We are a team that can keep the ball and now we just need to show that we can keep it in the final third, which is finding the right pass, finding the right cross and if that’s not on, just keep building pressure and hope that something goes for you.
“I don’t get the handball rule, the player said it hit him on the shoulder and that he never went with his arm but the referee said he made a movement with his arm. I don’t recall a movement and from where I’m sitting it doesn’t look like a free kick. But the ball still has to go in and it’s a great strike and very difficult for the goalkeeper to get to.
“Everyone is looking forward to playing those next three games. We have a nine or ten-day turn around until our next game now so it’s an opportunity for us to get some work done with the players. We will crank it up because we have two games in three days after that then six days later we play Sydney FC. They are tough games but the players showed tonight that we can go right until the end and we maybe could of taken something at the death.
“Trent’s a threat, so is Connor and Fab. We had a few players who were probably underdone today coming into the game so we needed to be really mindful of making subs at the right time because we didn’t want to be left for the last ten minutes without a sub if something happened. We are happy with the way Trent came on and was a threat. “
Central Coast Mariners: 20.Paul IZZO (gk), 3.Scott GALLOWAY, 5.Harry ASCROFT, 22.Jake McGING, 21.Micahel NEILL, 16.Liam ROSE (14.Adam BERRY 45’), 6.Blake POWELL (13.Kwabena APPIAH 85’), 8.Nick MONTGOMERY (c), 7.Fabio FERREIRA, 11.Connor PAIN (12.Trent BUHAGIAR 76’), 9.Roy O’DONOVAN
Substitutes not used: 1.Ivan NECEVSKI (gk), 25.Ryan PETERSON 12.
Yellow cards: O’Donovan 84’
Brisbane Roar FC: 1.Michael THEO (gk), 3.Luke DEVERE, 5.Corey BROWN, 7.Thomas KRISTENSEN, 9.Jamie MACLAREN (8.Jacob PEPPER 85’), 11.Tommy OAR, 13.Jade NORTH, 17.Matt MCKAY (c), 19.Jack HINGERT, 23.Dimitri PETRATOS (22.Thomas Broich), 28.Brandon BORELLO (15.Manual ARANA 67’)
Substitutes not used: 21.Jamie Young (gk), 4.Daniel BOWLES
Yellow cards: Nil
Sunday 19 December, 2016
Central Coast Stadium, Gosford
Central Coast Mariners vs. Brisbane Roar
Attendance: 6063
Referee: Chris Beath
