Central Coast Mariners Head Coach Phil Moss says he’s expecting an entertaining contest with Brisbane Roar in his side’s final game of the regular Hyundai A-League 2013/14 season at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday evening.
Central Coast Mariners Head Coach Phil Moss says he-s expecting an entertaining contest with Brisbane Roar in his side-s final game of the regular Hyundai A-League 2013/14 season at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday evening.
“It-s a game that has thrown up some magnificent spectacles over the last few years and I don-t expect it to be any different this weekend. We are both playing for something,” Moss told ABC Grandstand Breakfast this morning.
“Mike Mulvey will have his charges ready to go and they will want to continue their momentum going into the finals. We-re still fighting for a top three finish, which would be a magnificent achievement for the Club considering the season that we-ve had.”
“I know the players just can-t wait to get back out on the pitch with a full week of preparation and go up there and show them just how far we-ve come.”
Moss admits his team-s unplanned stop in Adelaide on the Mariners- journey from Sydney to Perth on Friday wasn-t ideal preparation for the clash with the purple-whites but he insists there were no excuses for the 3-1 loss at nib Stadium.
“It certainly did disturb our preparations, there is no doubt about that. We landed in Perth too late to do our session on Friday. When you-re a professional athlete you-re used to a routine and fine-tuning things before the game. However, there was no one using that as an excuse on Saturday night,” he said.
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South Korean attacking midfielder Kim Seung-yong was forced off on the stroke of half time on Saturday due to injury, but Moss says he expects the former FC Seoul and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors man to be fit to travel to Brisbane.
“It was only a slight hamstring strain and we didn-t want to take any risks at this stage of the season. He might have been alright to go back on the pitch but we-re not prepared to do this at this stage with some big games coming up. He will hopefully be right for this weekend,” Moss explained.
The Mariners mentor also praised shot stopper Liam Reddy after some impressive performances from the 32-year-old this campaign.
“I can-t speak highly enough of ‘Rocket-. He said this was his last chance and he-s grabbed it with both hands. It-s a credit to Graham Arnold and John Crawley in particular for giving him the chance,” he said.
“We-re all prepared to stand behind him and he-s ticked every box we-ve put down, and I-ve rewarded him with a new two-year deal.”
