Reds relinquish second spot after defeat to MarinersSaturday, 15 November 2008
A bandaged Sasa Ognenovski battles for possession against the Mariners' Nigel Boogaard.
Brendon Thorne Getty Images Adelaide United FC has given up second spot on the Hyundai A-League table after suffering a 3-nil loss to the Central Coast Mariners in front of 7,865 at Bluetongue Stadium in Gosford.
Despite having their share of chances, The Reds were unable to bounce back just three days after their AFC Champions League Final defeat as Matt Simon, Sasho Petrovski and Adrian Caceres all managed to get their names on the score sheet to send United packing.
From Wednesday nights AFC Champions League Final 2nd leg, goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic, Angelo Costanzo and Fabian Barbiero all returned to the starting line up against the Central Coast in a match that had significant bearings for both sides, the Mariners starting the night three points behind United.
Questions about any ACL Final hangover were answered early by The Reds who started promisingly, Barbiero narrowly missing the target with a curling shot after an assist by Travis Dodd.
United was enjoying more of the possession in the opening 15 minutes as they tried to sting the Mariners with an early goal, however this ascendancy was flattened as a period of persistent aerial pressure from the Mariners was rewarded in the 18th minute.
Simon made the most of a messy goal mouth scramble after United failed to deal with a cross from the left, the striker putting the ball into the back of the net from point blank range.
Needing a response, Cassio should have tied the game up in the 25th minute after he was on the end of a delightful Robert Cornthwaite cross, but the unmarked Brazilian somehow put his header into the ground and bounced it over the bar with the goal at his mercy.
Dodd then tested Mariners keeper Danny Vukovic with a tame shot as The Reds played with a man short for 10 minutes as Sasa Ognenovski received seven stitches to a gash on the forehead courtesy of Dylan McAllister.
With Ognenovski stitched up and back on the park, United looked to go into the break just a solitary goal down, however they would stare at a two goal deficit as Petrovski poached on a ball from close range after another defensive tangle from a Mariners corner.
Then on the stroke of half time, Galekovic prevented it from being three, managing a fine reflex save from Petrovski.
United started the second half more desperate than they finished the first as they clearly went out searching for goals, and it nearly came when again, Cassio should have at least hit the target but unfortunately he sprayed his effort over the top.
The Mariners made United pay, a ball from a corner spilling out to Caceres on the edge of the area and he picked his spot and rammed it home.
Three goals down, United would need to produce 30 minutes like the Central Coast did at Hindmarsh Stadium back in Round 7 when they were staring at a 3-nil scoreline and came back to draw level.
But with so much energy and intensity expelled during Wednesdays match against Gamba Osaka, a United resurgence would not eventuate. The Reds could have found themselves even further behind if not for Galekovic, the keeper pulling off another superb save to deny McAllister.
Alemao tried to liven things up after he was introduced, his first touch of the game a free kick that nearly brought about a goal, before he launched a bullet from 20 metres less than a minute later that skimmed the cross bar.
Galekovic was in the action again late on to stop John Hutchinson from adding a fourth and on a night where The Reds once again managed to create enough chances to get something out of the game, they could not manufacture any substantial attempts that threatened the target. In fairness, the Mariners could also have added to their goal tally, prevented only by heroics of Galekovic and missed opportunities from Nik Mrdja.
After the match, Adelaide United Coach Aurelio Vidmar was left reflecting on what might have been had The Reds made more of their opportunities.
There were a couple of defining moments in the game that could have maybe changed the result, with Cassio missing a good chance in the first half and then again after the break, Vidmar said.
But the Central Coast are a very good and physical side and they played well and had a very potent attack with the three boys up front.
Im proud of my team, they fought to the end and gave it their all.
The result drops United to third on goal difference, leaving The Reds next match on Saturday at home to Sydney FC a crucial one with John Kosminas men just a point back in fourth spot.
Match Details
Central Coast Mariners 3 (Simon 18, Petrovski 44, Caceres 50)
Adelaide United 0
Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford
Referee: Matthew Breeze
Crowd: 7,865
Adelaide United line-up: 20.Eugene GALEKOVIC (gk), 2.Robert CORNTHWAITE, 4.Angelo COSTANZO, 6.CASSIO (3.ALEMAO 57), 7.Lucas PANTELIS, 10.CRISTIANO (21.Jason SPAGNUOLO 69), 13.Travis DODD (capt.), 14.Scott JAMIESON, 18.Fabian BARBIERO (15.Jonas SALLEY 73), 19.Sasa OGNENOVSKI, 22.DIEGO.
Substitutes Not Used: 30.Mark BIRIGHITTI (gk)
Yellow Cards: Barbiero 65, Spagnuolo 72
Red Cards: Nil
Central Coast Mariners line-up: 20.Danny VUKOVIC (gk), 4.Pedj BOJIC, 5.Bradley PORTER, 7.John HUTCHINSON, 10.Adrian CACERES (6.David D'APUZZO 75), 11.Dylan MACALLISTER, 16.Nigel BOOGAARD, 18.Alex WILKINSON, 19.Matt SIMON (9.Nik MRDJA 77), 22.Sasho PETROVSKI, 23.Mile JEDINAK.
Substitutes Not Used: 17.Matthew OSMAN, 30.Andrew REDMAYNE (gk)
Yellow Cards: Wilkinson 90+2
Red Cards: Nil
who was the 1 who yelled out to eugine,
