While everyone is talking about the Melbourne Derby, this weekend’s real local rivalry is at Bluetongue Stadium on Sunday. 18 matches have yielded 56 goals, 68 bookings and 5 send-offs, and inaugural Mariners Football Manager Lawrie McKinna looks back at six seasons of classic contests between the Mariners and Sydney FC.
While everyone is talking about the Melbourne Derby, this weekend-s real local rivalry is at Bluetongue Stadium on Sunday. 18 matches have yielded 56 goals, 68 bookings and 5 send-offs, and inaugural Mariners Football Manager Lawrie McKinna looks back at six seasons of classic contests between the Mariners and Sydney FC.
Honourable Mentions:
Central Coast Mariners 2 Sydney FC 3
Bluetongue Stadium, August 23, 2008
Lawrie Says: “Shannon Cole scored the winner from a free kick, and that was the goal that got him a new two-year contract. I thought we deserved to win but it was a great strike by him.”
Central Coast Mariners 1 Sydney FC 5
Bluetongue Stadium, November 5, 2005
Lawrie Says: “Michael Beauchamp got sent off early doors, they scored the penalty and went on with it. It was our worst defeat, where on the night it didn-t happen for us.”
Sydney FC 3 Central Coast Mariners 2
SFS, October 28, 2007
Lawrie Says: “We dominated a lot of the game. Hutch-s first one was a right foot bomb and the second one was from about the same with his left foot at the other end. I-m sure he-ll be telling his son about those ones!”
Sydney FC 1 Central Coast Mariners 1
SFS, August 28, 2010
Lawrie Says: “Patricio Perez came on and changed the game. He made a great run and got the penalty, jumped the fence to the fans. There was a lot made out of it but I believe he got touched and he deserved to get a penalty so I don-t know what the Sydney fans were whinging about!”
Sydney FC 1 Central Coast Mariners 0
SFS, March 5, 2006
Lawrie Says: “We lost the Grand Final 1-nil but we should have been up at least 2-nil at half time. It was a great thing for the club, the first year, the first grand final and having 18,000 fans from the Coast there made it an amazing day, it was just sad we didn-t win.”
Sydney FC 0 Central Coast Mariners 1
SFS, August 24, 2007
Lawrie Says: “Sasho Petrovski came from Sydney and then scored against them, it was a good night and a big crowd, huge travelling support. There was a good atmosphere and a real tight game, we endured lots of pressure but hung on.”
Central Coast Mariners 3 Sydney FC 1
Bluetongue Stadium, October 31, 2006
Lawrie Says: “Damien Mori came in and banged in a few goals including 2 that day. I can remember his face, he just loved scoring goals and nothing better for us than scoring against Sydney.”
FIFTH PLACE:
Central Coast Mariners 2 Sydney FC 1
Bluetongue Stadium, December 13, 2008
Lawrie Says: “Mile Jedinak blasted a last-minute penalty right in the top corner, and it was a game we deserved to win. We kept coming at them and then Mile smashed it into the top corner right at the end, one of a few crucial goals he scored for the club.”
FOURTH PLACE:
Central Coast Mariners 4 Sydney FC 5
Bluetongue Stadium, December 22, 2007
Lawrie Says: “Kwas equalised at 4-all and we were in there fighting with ten men, Kwas raced in to get the ball back because we believed we could win. Maybe we should have shut up shop and they got a penalty in the last minute. What a game, that-s what derbies are all about.”
THIRD PLACE:
Sydney FC 3 Central Coast Mariners 3
SFS, November 1, 2008
Lawrie Says: “The comeback began. There was 10 minutes left when Matt Simon scored the third one. A few weeks ago we-d come back from 3-nil against Adelaide as well and we had them rocked. They went up undeservedly but we came back, we scored early in the second half, Mrdja came off the bench and scored and when Matty scored (the equaliser) he ran into the fans and we thought we could win. We put them under the pump for the last ten minutes but couldn-t win it. You still see
highlights of Pedj Bojic-s clash with Beau Busch and shows you
the commitment.
SECOND PLACE:
Sydney FC 2 Central Coast Mariners 3
SFS, September 16, 2005
Lawrie Says: “92nd minute and 2-all at the time. It was pouring with rain when Noel Spencer lined up a free kick and smashed it, it hit Alvin Ceccoli in the wall and Clint Bolton went the other way. It was like slow motion on the bench, but amazingly the ball squeezed under the bar and the whole team ran toward the bench and slid in the mud. It was brilliant, it was the first derby win and a great night, one that I-ll always remember.”
FIRST PLACE:
Central Coast Mariners 4 Sydney FC 0
Bluetongue Stadium, December 4, 2010
Lawrie Says: “It was clinical. For whatever reason Sydney were off the pace but don-t take anything away from the Mariners, on the night they were clinical, finished their chances and it could have been more goals. 4-nil was probably a bit flattering to Sydney FC on the night.
Where will Sunday-s clash feature?….
