The Central Coast Mariners have come from behind to draw 1-1 with the Newcastle Jets away from home thanks to a second half strike by Scott Galloway from outside the area.
Newcastle Jets 1 (Kokko 20’) Central Coast Mariners 1 (Galloway 50’)
The Run Down
The Central Coast Mariners have come from behind to draw 1-1 with the Newcastle Jets away from home thanks to a second half strike by Scott Galloway from outside the area.
In a crucial clash for both sides in their late charge for the top six, the Mariners dictated play early to record dominant statistics in possession, field position and chances created through out the first half.
Although, it was the home team who would strike first through Aleksandr Kokko when a cross from the left found him inside the six-yard box which allowed the Finnish hitman to bag his maiden Hyundai A-League goal in the 20th minute.
That wouldn’t deter the Mariners though who continued to push hard leading into the break where the likes of Connor Pain & Fabio Ferreira combined multiple times in attack, just lacking the final ball into the box to score. Nick Montgomery also had a chance just before the half time whistle but the Jets’ debutant goalkeeper, Tomislav Arcaba made a sharp save.
The Yellow & Navy came out flying in the second half and it took them just five minutes to equalise when a corner rolled into the path of Galloway. That’s the only invite the left back would need who, from outside the 18-yard-box, struck with the inside of his right foot straight past Arcaba to level the scores up at 1-1.
With 30 minutes remaining both teams continued their efforts on one another’s goal and it could have gone either way at McDonald Jones Stadium with Jacob Poscoliero making a raft of timely interventions to keep his team in the race.
In the 63rd minute Ferreira almost had a well-deserved goal when he fired from 25-yards-out with a rocket of his own that was bound for the top corner. Arcaba, who had some nervy moments in the first half threw everything at Ferreira’s shot to parry it over the crossbar for a corner.
Substitute Josh Bingham also went close to stealing the headlines and three points in the 90th minute when he leapt above the pack in the dying stages but his header was cleared off the line.
Full focus now turns to next Sunday that will see the Central Coast Mariners host Melbourne City at Central Coast Stadium.
Goals
1-0 Jets: Aleksandr Kokko 20’
Despite majority of the field position, chances and possession falling in favour of the Mariners it was the away side who bagged the first goal. A precision cross landed on the head of Kokko who nodded on from close range
1-1 Mariners: Scott Galloway 50’
The Mariners came out firing in the second half and it was the unlikely left back in Scotty Galloway who took the game into his own hands. After a corner the ball rolled out to Galloway who put his right foot sweetly through the ball to equalise from outside the area just five minutes into the second stanza.
Paolo in the press
“I thought we dominated the first half and were in total control,” Okon said. “It was maybe their first or second attack where we didn’t defend like we needed to and gave away a soft goal.
“It was difficult conditions out there; Newcastle were very direct and caused us a few issues with Kokko with his size and he’s very good in the air.
“Momentum was swinging a little bit and I think we were our own worst enemy giving them one or two easy opportunities and kept giving them dangerous moments but I think in the end a draw was a fair result.
“At half time we spoke about what we thought we needed to do better and what we needed to maintain. That’s exactly what we did, against the wind you can take the easy way out and kick it long but credit to our boys, we continued playing out and in the end we got our reward and possibly could have had one or two more. Then the momentum shifted a little bit and Newcastle put us under a bit of pressure but like I said, the draw was a fair result.
“We want to compete in our last six matches, we want to win them. Our focus over the past few weeks, even though we won three back-to-back games, hasn’t been looking too far ahead it’s been about the way we’re working at training and how we want to improve and take each game as they come.
“We have had a good month of results, we have a home game next Sunday against Melbourne City who are one of the best teams in the competition so we will prepare this week and go for three points in front of a big crowd.
“I think you’ll find Roy was marked and the focus was shifted on him, to nullify him. We didn’t create any clear-cut opportunities for him. He worked hard, I lost count on the bench and was very frustrated at how many times we got the ball into dangerous areas but just weren’t able to find that final pass, that cut back or that pass that was going to put someone in front of goal. We know we need to improve, we know we need to work on it. We look very good doing it at training but come the game there’s more pressure, you need to make faster decisions.
“We felt that we could have created better opportunities if we had that little bit more composure which we’ve lacked in a number of games this season,” Okon said.
Newcastle Jets: 2.Daniel MULLEN, 3.Jason HOFFMAN,6.Steven UGARKOVIC, 7.Andrew HOOLE, 8.Mateo POLJAK (5.Ben KANTAROVSKI 63’), 9.Aleksandr KOKKO (23.Devante CLUT 76’), 15.Andrew NABBOUT, 19.Morten NORDSTRAND (29.Joel ALLWRIGHT 87’), 22.Lachlan JACKSON, 28.John KOUTROUMBIS, 50.Tomislav ARCABA (gk)
Subtitutes not used: 20.Jack DUNCAN (gk), 16.Nicholas COWBURN
Yellow cards: Jackson 48’, Ugarkovic 84’
Central Coast Mariners: 20.Paul IZZO (gk), 2.Storm ROUX, 3.Scott GALLOWAY, 4.Jacob POSCOLIERO, 7.Fabio FERREIRA (14.Adam BERRY 89’), 8.Nick MONTGOMERY (c), 11.Connor PAIN (17.Josh BINGHAM 90’), 13.Kwabena APPIAH (12.Trent BUHAGIAR 76’), 16.Liam ROSE, 22.Jake McGING
Substitutes not used: 1.Ivan NECEVSKI (gk), 5.Harry ASCROFT
Yellow cards: nil
Sunday 26 February, 2017
McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
Newcastle Jets vs. Central Coast Mariners
Attendance: 9,423
Referee: Shaun Evans
