CENTRAL Coast Mariners travel north to Newcastle this Saturday aiming to consolidate their place atop the Hyundai A-League ladder when they meet Gary van Egmond’s Jets outfit at Hunter Stadium.
Bernie Ibini (above) found the back of the net in the last F3 Derby. Image (c) John Dewberry
CENTRAL Coast Mariners travel north to Newcastle this Saturday aiming to consolidate their place atop the Hyundai A-League ladder when they meet Gary van Egmond’s Jets outfit at Hunter Stadium.
In round 9, Graham Arnold’s men extended their unbeaten run to six matches thanks to a 2-1 victory over the high-flying Adelaide United at Bluetongue Stadium. Goals from Joshua Rose and Nick Montgomery sealed all three points for Central Coast in what was another structured, determined team display.
The yellow and navy have now collected an impressive 16 points from the last 18 on offer, and head to the Hunter aiming to trump their arch-rivals in front of their home fans.
Indeed, if either side claims victory in the round 10 contest, they will edge ahead in the overall head-to-head battle between the two clubs. In 27 games between Mariners and Jets, both sides have won nine times while there has been nine draws.
Central Coast Mariners captain John Hutchinson has a long history in the F3 Derby dating back to the inaugural season of the Hyundai A-League. Should Hutchinson, as expected, turn out for the yellow and navy this weekend, he will become the sixth most capped player in A-League history – level with Sydney FC skipper Terry McFlynn on 158 appearances.
The two teams last met in round 3 of the 2012/13 Hyundai A-League campaign with Newcastle winning 2-1 in controversial circumstances. That clash was one of the most heated F3 Derby games in years, and with three crucial Hyundai A-League points on the line again this weekend, Saturday’s fixture promises to provide supporters of both sides and neutrals alike entertainment aplenty.
Newcastle Jets vs. Central Coast Mariners – 2012/13 Hyundai A-League Round 10
Saturday 8 December, 2012
Hunter Stadium
Kick-off: 7:45pm (local)
Tickets: Please CLICK HERE to purchase tickets to the match
Transport: Travel from the Central Coast to Hunter Stadium in style on the Mariners’ Official Supporter Buses (Coastal Liner Coaches). Please CLICK HERE for more information.
Twitter: Join the match conversation on Twitter! The official match hash-tag for Sunday-s game is #F3Derby
National Youth League: Please note the NYL round 8 game between Jets and Mariners will be played as curtain-raiser for the Hyundai A-League contest. NYL kick-off is 5:00pm.
Stats Pack: Please CLICK HERE to download the F3 Derby Stats Pack.
