The Central Coast Mariners started this A-League campaign with four consecutive losses, saw half of their Championship winning squad leave, and were forced to replace their outgoing manager. Somehow though, the club has turned things around, despite so much going against them.
Survivor: Gosford
Central Coast doesn’t boast the biggest fan base nor the strongest corporate network. The club’s survival is far from secure and has often required the club to produce and sell players to make ends meet. Following an incredible Championship winning season, it was to be expected that some of the team’s talent would be poached by bigger clubs, but the scale of the off-season churn was unprecedented.
The club lost half of its Championship winning squad (including Nectar Triantis, Yaren Sozer, Jason Cummings, Samuel Silvera, Beni Nkololo, Moresche, and James McGarry). If that wasn’t bad enough, the club also lost key forward Marco Tulio early this season. The players lost by the Mariners accounted for 54 of the club’s 65 goals from last season, a massive hole to plug.
On top of all of that, the club also lost its manager Nick Montgomery to Scottish Premier League club Hibernian. His ultimate replacement, English coach Mark Jackson, has somehow managed to steady the ship – particularly in his dealings with the club’s newer recruits. Strong singings upfront have been key, with returning forward Alou Kuol (7 goals 27 games), and Colombian forward Ángel Torres (13 goals, 24 games) providing much needed firepower up front.
The few remaining squad members from last year’s Grand Final have also stepped up to provide much needed on-field stability, including goalkeeper Danny Vukovic, defender Brian Kaltak and midfielder Josh Nisbet all playing critical roles this season. As the new squad members improved their on-field chemistry the Mariners have seen their form improve and have now lost just one of their past 15 A-League games.
Performance Under Pressure
Underlining this incredible form was their recent win over Melbourne Victory. In a tense game that saw over 30 shots and three red cards, the Mariners walked away with the three points as well as their first first ever win against Victory at AAMI Park. Making the achievement more impressive was that the win came just days after their physically brutal AFC Cup win against Macarthur FC.
The club’s AFC Cup campaign has also been impressive this season. Not only has the club balanced the tournament’s demanding travel schedule alongside their A-League campaign, they have done so with on-field success. The Mariners have won six of their eight games and is now approaching a potential continental trophy after securing the Zone Championship in their 120 minute five goal thriller against Macarthur FC.
Off-field improvement
The Mariner’s on-field form has also seen an improvement in their off-field engagement which could strengthen the club’s foundations for future success. Under the new ownership of Richard Peil fans have noted a marked improvement in the club’s fan engagement and focus, not just underlined by their on-field performances but also improved attendances.
Over 15 thousand people attended the Mariners’ New Year’s Eve clash against Perth, the club’s biggest regular season crowd since 2013. Excluding finals, the club’s average attendances have also shown a noticeable uplift, even in the current cost of living crisis.
What’s next
The Mariner’s performances on and off the field are extremely impressive in light of its squad upheaval. There is plenty of the season left to come but a Premiership, Championship and AFC Cup are still to play for, and if the crowds are any indication, the fans seem to sense there is something special happening in Gosford.
The Beautiful Game 