Mariners Academy score dramatic first win
The Central Coast Mariners Academy have overcome a 10-man South Coast Wolves outfit 4-3 at Pluim Park to earn their first ever IGA National Premier Leagues NSW Mens 1 win.
Former Hyundai A-League striker Christopher Payne was the star of the show scoring all four of the Mariners goals, which included the winner in the final minute of play, and a second-half hat trick.
It was a crucial clash for both sides with South Coast having only one win this season and the newcomers’ remained rooted to the bottom of the table in their debut season.
The first 15’ minutes were to-and-fro with both teams contesting an even amount of possession but Central Coast held majority of the field position.
The Academy side played the ball around well and looked calm in all corners of the pitch but it was not their efficiency that created the opening goal of the match.
Payne was a considerable distance from goal with the ball at his feet and tried his luck with a flat and powerful strike that had enough deviation off the pitch to skip onto the left shin of Wolves’ goalkeeper Daniel Collison to make its way over the line for a 1-0 lead in the 19’ minute.
The opener failed to deter the travelling side’s efforts, the visitors came close to equalising 2’ minutes later off the back of a Ricky Zucco corner that struck the upright after finding the head of Michael Robinson
However, the Wolves equaliser was imminent and fell from a free-kick. Zucco made no mistake curling his effort over the wall into the bottom corner leaving Jordan Nikolovski with little chance in the 25’ minute.
After goals to both sides, the match picked up in momentum and it was the Mariners with the next biggest chance through goal scorer Payne whose point blank volley was denied by Collison.
The final 10’ minutes of the half swung in the direction of South Coast and their persistence was rewarded down the right flank through substitution Joseph Lavalle.
Lavalle broke into acres of space and gave himself enough time to cross perfectly to the feet of Mitchell Delturco who controlled and neatly tucked the ball into the far corner and a half-time lead.
South Coast continued to pressure the Mariners backline in the second half who held strong and deceived the attack with a dynamic defensive structure.
The Mariners lifted after a 57’ minute substitution saw the injection of young Daniel MacFarlane who played with class.
But it was a huge decision on the Wolves’ goal line that gifted the Mariners an equaliser as Matthew Crowell headed on target but the hand of defender, Samuel Chapple, illegally saw off his chance.
The deliberate handball resulted in a red card as well as a penalty opportunity for Payne who drilled home the spot-kick to make the score 2-2 in the 61’ minute.
The ten-man Wolves continued to push forward despite being a man down which saw play open up for both sides.
The Mariners creative flare took over for the final stages with Adam Woodbine and MacFarlane causing havoc for Jack Keating and Del Turco in the Wolves backline.
Dylan Vorster and Payne also linked up well on the opposite side of the park that produced some dangerous crosses for Central Coast.
But at the other end of the pitch Zucco wanted the winner for South Coast with a thunderous left foot strike forcing Nikolovski into an important tip over the crossbar.
However, the curling ball from the right side and a defensive mix up gave Payne his hat-trick, the former Sydney FC striker tapped the bobbling ball over the line. Steve Hayes had dropped back to try and make a clearance but could not do enough to see Payne’s goal out in the 85’ minute.
The home side’s party was temporarily put on hold and who else was there to spoil the party than Wolves striker Zucco, who beautifully flicked the ball up for himself to drill home his second goal of the match and equalise.
Once again however, even that was not enough to put the game to bed. Again, it was the right side that damaged the South Coast as MacFarlane whipped in a free-kick, the ball took a detour off the goalkeeper and a defender before finding possession with Payne who picked up his fourth, and the winner, in the 90’ minute of play.
Payne was humbled after scoring four goals and gave credit to his teammates for their first win of the season:
“It feels very good, we have been going well in the Cup but it feels even better to have our first league win of the season and now we just have to go on from here.
“I take massive confidence from that but I am never going to score without the boys passing me the ball and it wouldn’t happen without the other ten out there.
“We normally control our games but tonight we were better all round and that is what we needed.”
South Coast were unlucky to walk away with nothing but Zucco held his head high:
“It’s always tough to work so hard and let a couple of silly errors cost you the game.
“I think we started off slow and conceded a very sloppy goal but slowly brought ourselves back into the game with a couple of nice goals but the set pieces came back to haunt us, four goals and four set pieces.
“It felt good to finally score a goal in open play, I have scored five goals now and they have all come from set pieces except that one.
“They really hit us hard with the 45-degree angled ball from the side so they did well there but at the end of the day they got in behind us but never really threatened, but come set pieces they were dangerous and we struggled.”
The Central Coast Mariners Academy are in an advantageous position starting their first of five consecutive matches at home and the Wolves will look to bounce back against Sutherland in another away fixture next weekend.
Match Stats
Central Coast Mariners Academy 4 (Payne 19’, 61’, 85’, 90’)
South Coast Wolves 3 (Zucco 25’, 86’, Delturco 45’)
Saturday 25th of May, 2013
Pluim Park
Referee: Andrew Best
Assistant Referees: Luke Burley and Lachlan Daniel
Fourth Official: Benjamin Abraham
Central Coast Mariners Academy: 1.Jordan Nikolovski; 8.Daniel Bragg, 10.Tomislav Cirjak (29.Daniel McFarlane 57’), 2.Matthew Crowell, 39.Dylan Holz, 3.Jamie Lobb, 26.Mapu Ridge, 22.Liam O’Dell, 6.Christopher Payne, 21.Dillon Vorster, 30.Adam Woodbine
Substitutes Not Used: 20.Beyhan Irmako, 16.Jed Prater, 25.Steve Whyte, Dean Koletti
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
South Coast Wolves: 1.Daniel Collison; 3.Samuel Chapple, 14.Mitchell Delturco, 8.Steven Hayes, 2.Jack Keating, 17.Zachary Mackenzie (12.Joseph Lavalle), 11.John Martinoski, 21.Sam Matthews, 6.Christopher Nathaniel, 4.Michael Robinson, 10.Ricky Zucco
Substitutes Not Used: 15.Matthew Floro, 20.Thomas Hamilton, 13.Kolonsa Dushan
Yellow Cards: Ricky Zucco 36’
Red Cards: Samuel Chapple 60’
Player Ratings:
3 – Christopher Payne (CCM)
2 – Ricky Zucco (SCW)
1 – Daniel MacFarlane (CCM)
-By Tyson Scott
