R14: Central Coast Mariners FC vs Melbourne City FC

[Atomic]

I don't really like giving a MoM to a guy that plays only 60 mins, but Dukey's performance today was stellar. His passing leaves a lot to be desired at times, but he has developed these really deft touches that seem to be coming off more often than not lately. They really get the attack moving forward.

For mine, Tricky gets my MoM… but only by a hair from Reddy, Hutch… and Cernak, of all people. Honestly, where has Cernak been hiding that kind of performance??? He was fantastic! Tricky's ability to, not only control the ball in traffic, but also bewilder the defenders was superb, and very much what a #10 should do.

Rosey kept Duff quiet all night and Posco was extremely impressive. His skill on the ball is excellent. I think this is the back four we should use from now on. Where does this leave Roux though?

Vernes was not up the the standard of his team mates today. I was quite disappointed in his shift. He looked gassed quite early on, so I wonder if he just isn't used to playing in such hot conditions. Also, does he have a left foot?

All in all, absolutely brilliant first half, a bit frustrating second 45. It's a shame we have a break because I think this win would have given us some good momentum.

 

[VicMariner]

It's a shame we have a break because I think this win would have given us some good momentum.

Probably true.
With new guys coming in it's a bit like a mini preseason. A chance to get them slotted in.
In that respect it's good timing.

 

[RichardB43]

I've been a big critic of Duke, comparing him to a headless chook most of the season. Felt sorry for the guy who had so obviously lost his mojo. Felt almost embarrassed for him.
But last Saturday, with Simon up front, Dukey did a good shift as an energetic midfielder, running the ball up from the back, getting back to help the defence.
Another good shift from him this week, though the two goals were laid on a plate for him. That he skied another shot was annoying. Still, 2 out of 3 on target is way better than his normal ratio from direct shots!
All season been wondering why Cernak hasn't been tried more. Showed today he can really contribute.
Vernes looked stuffed by the heat after just 20 mins or so.
Hutch did a good number of long distribution passes to outlets on either wing, something like the old Zwaansjik distributions, which helped move us forward pretty quickly.
All round the whole team (except Vernes) played pretty well. In the first half! Second half we looked more like the team down to 10 men.
But MoM has to go to Reddy. 3 brilliant saves that saved us from losing!! And can't recall too many wasted distributions going out of the field of play or all the way through to the other keeper. That was a nice change!.
We shouldn't celebrate too hard on the basis of what was really a fairly lucky result against a lacklustre team out of form.

Next game Mossy will have the pleasant challenge of having to choose between players showing some form, instead of picking the least worst

 

[Forum Phoenix]

What a treat.

Duke 3
Reddy 2
Posco 1

But all players - bar Vernes and Sim - deserve accolades.

I thought Anderson who hasn't been mentioned yet (bar his nutmeg) had a terrific game also.

Cernak... surely has to partner Fitzy as winger come next game. Took his chance, great performance.

Duke... That is easily the best performance I have seen from an Australian striker in the HAL this year. I like Juric, but I have never seen him play as well as Mitch Duke did today. Taggart can only dream. Really would have deserved the hatrick that he should have had. It's now officially taken Duke over 12 months after being banished to the wing by GA after his successful roo call up to finally return to top form and show his true potential again. Tonight was an exceptional performance.

Not sure how Monty get's back into the starting side. He can't distribute or lead like Hutch, and Cacere's deserves to stay - such good feet - still needs to follow up and too many touches 3 times today for what otherwise may have been goals. But anyway there's a bigger issue as I see it...

If we have a quality back up striker, then Duke and Simon both deserve to play upfront together. We need to keep scoring goals, our system/philosophy so far has been found wanting, and formations need to work around your strengths. Fortunately Mossy now has 3 weeks to figure out how he's going to do it. Myself I think it's a return to the 442 Diamond.

Be nice to see committed wingbacks again... Poscy is better on the ball than Pedj. Rose continues to do it well. The hardest battle is Caceres v Trifiro at 10, but my own two cents is that a Simon and Duke paring deserves to start over a Caceres/Trifiro as crucially there is more goals in it vs likely less possession and retention. Roux Posco is another very tough call. Personally I'd keep Posco. He's got serious potential.

A shout out to Major's debut today also. He was let down by much sloppier CCM passing second half, but that's still a great debut. He should have had an assist. Kisnorbo is a very experienced, strong, physical and athletic defender. To more than hold his own against him like that was awesome to watch. And you can see he's hungry. Bodes well.

To be realistic: City don't press and foul like some of the other sides, which allows us to play football and despite other concerns it's something Mossy has definitely always tried to do. But there are also clearly 5 better teams in front of City. However if we can replicate a few more performances like that, and sign at the least one high quality new signing, then we may not be in quite the player trouble that I feared we might be and might still make the six. Be awesome to be the first team to win a GF from 6th. Now you can all get those optimistic ratings going...

 

[style_cafe]

It`s been a long time between drinks but the lads finally got there.
City really didn`t impress at all as we smothered there attack or just managed to get a foot in there or a block (Cernak especially) or Reddy made a great save.
Reddy- great reflex saves superb effort
Posc- had a blinder he`s definitely getting better with each game
Ando & Bosnar - played well but faded into the background with stronger performers around them
Rose- Steady as a rock,gave Duff nothing but grief all game
Hutcho- one of his better performances with a couple of great passes forward ( yes forward)
Caceres- Possibly his best game for us. His ability to ride tackles or to get through 2-3 defenders was beautiful to watch.
Cernak- definitely his best game. He worked his butt off & deserved a full 90mins.
Vernes- I`ve sat on the fence, trying to give him the opportunity to impress with his limited appearances but today he tipped the scales. This guy should join Mane & Kim. Not a footballers arse.
Duke- Finally got the monkey off his back with two good goals. I wonder how much influence Matty has had on him.
Tricky- Very effective today. Set up the first goal & had a good all round game.

It would be remiss of me not to mention the Yellow Army & the band who were superb all day. They dragged the crowd to a standing ovation,gave their all & really became the 12th man today...well done.

 

[nebakke]

Just on a side-note... Wasn't Peter Green the ref in that first, horror-game, in Newie, in our championship season... The one that basically cost us the double that season by robbing us of three points?...
You know the one, with the bad offside call against Rosie etc... Or am I just seeing a case of transference?
It was sort of shocking at times today, I though. Bosnar at one point, stuck with a City player with both arms locked around him and the ref just waving it off... Not to mention the blatant push in Reddy's side that went completely unpunished....

 

[nebakke]

Ah, just looked at aleaguestats, it doesn't look like that was him... The rest stands though

 

[pjennings]

Vernes- I`ve sat on the fence, trying to give him the opportunity to impress with his limited appearances but today he tipped the scales. This guy should join Mane & Kim. Not a footballers arse.

Cannot disagree with this more. He has not had a lot of game time but he should have had a penalty - but still gave the pass to Duke for his second. He also set up a third for Duke (except Duke was on his heels) that would have meant about a 30 minute hat-trick. For the first 30 minutes he was pulling all the strings. All the guy needs is game time.

 

[style_cafe]

Cannot disagree with this more. He has not had a lot of game time but he should have had a penalty - but still gave the pass to Duke for his second. He also set up a third for Duke (except Duke was on his heels) that would have meant about a 30 minute hat-trick. For the first 30 minutes he was pulling all the strings. All the guy needs is game time.

a) I agree he hasn`t had a lot of game time that`s why I sat on the fence.
b) He was lucky that the ball actually got to Duke for the 2nd goal (more good luck than good play), also I think if Duke hadn`t scored Vernes would have copped a yellow for simulation.
c) He presented himself like a 3rd division park footballer.
d) In the time he was on he rarely broke out of a trot, failed to track back, never tracked an opponent & rarely got in a position to receive the ball. In fact it was so obvious that the other players wouldn`t even give him the ball.
e) I think the only strings he pulled in the first half was when he did up his laces.

I actually wondered who he was in the first 20 mins.I really thought someone was taking the piss...

 

[Wombat]

I saw the game from a dodgy little pub in ao nang. ...on a live feed that was very hazy.
I thought we were much better than usual and went into the game with more intent.
Duke was superb and both goals were quality.
I thought Vernes was alright but sometimes I couldn't make out who was who.
Btw. ....what was the crowd numbers?
COYY.

 

[pjennings]

a) I agree he hasn`t had a lot of game time that`s why I sat on the fence.
b) He was lucky that the ball actually got to Duke for the 2nd goal (more good luck than good play), also I think if Duke hadn`t scored Vernes would have copped a yellow for simulation.
c) He presented himself like a 3rd division park footballer.
d) In the time he was on he rarely broke out of a trot, failed to track back, never tracked an opponent & rarely got in a position to receive the ball. In fact it was so obvious that the other players wouldn`t even give him the ball.
e) I think the only strings he pulled in the first half was when he did up his laces.

I actually wondered who he was in the first 20 mins. I really thought someone was taking the piss...

Two hands square in the back didn't look like simulation to me. Also did you notice that when he went off - quickly followed by Duke and Koren from City that City suddenly dominated in the middle. Vernes, Trifiro and Caceres were bossing the midfield until then and yet when he went off we were chasing the ball even though we had the extra man.

As for (d) the player that was being ignored, especially by Jacob was Zac. It was clear that he had very little trust in him.

 

[sydmariner]

Btw. ....what was the crowd numbers?

7409

 

[Roy Law]

Duke Fires up the Mariners​

Happy New Year! A couple of days late, but at last something to celebrate as the Mariners turned in their most complete team performance of the season. Inspired by Mitch Duke up front, and saved by Liam Reddy at the back, every player stood up to be counted today.
Nick Montgomery and Matt Simon were both out, injured; Vernes, Trifiro and Cernak started, with Fitzgerald taking a spell on the bench where he was joined by new signing Travis Major.
What has been missing for Duke this year has been goals but he made up for it today with a sizzling display: two goals, and only denied a hat trick by a red card challenge from Tando Velaphi. It only took 11 minutes for the celebrations to start as Trifiro with a gentle piece of magic evaded Partaluu and set up Duke for a calm finish to the bottom corner of the net. It was just the start the goal shy Mariners wanted.
Ten minutes later Vernes made slow progress across the penalty area, slowly fell over as if trying to milk a penalty, and, as the City defenders stood transfixed, toed the ball to the unmarked Duke. Bang! The ball fizzed into the net with Velaphi helpless. Boom! Went the cannon as the Mariners celebrated.
Caceres and Trifiro were controlling the play in midfield, Poscoliero and Rose were containing City’s dangerous wingers, and Duke was scaring the daylights out of the City defence. The Mariners were playing some really good football. Vernes shot wide after Duke’s energy had won the ball; and then Duke again, this time setting up Caceres, whose shot was somehow deflected by Mooy for a corner.
The Mariners now began to sit deep, too deep, but this allowed Reddy to join the party with a flying save from Koren; finger tipping the ball to safety after a kind bounced favoured City. Koren then shot over after Reddy had been caught in possession by Williams. And then a magnificent reaction save to Mooy’s close in header. Two goals to the good at half time, the jaunty Mariners headed for the sheds applauded by the delighted crowd.
Vernes left the field after a little more than five minutes of the second half, a victim of a couple of crude challenges; he was replaced by Fitzgerald. And then came Velaphi’s red card. Hutchinson, I think it was, whose pass over the defence sent Duke away at high speed. Velaphi came racing out of his area and just as Duke tipped the ball past him with his left foot, collected the Mariners’ striker and sent him sprawling. Velaphi, denying Duke his hat trick, left the field to a red card; Duke left the field with a corked thigh to be replaced by debutant Major. Bosnar wasted the free kick with a shot over the bar.
With the greatest chance to earn a long awaited victory the Mariners disappointingly, but perhaps understandably, sat back to deny City. It wasn’t pretty; it invited a stream of free kicks and corners, especially from the ever threatening Mooy, and Reddy again, late on, had to tip over a header from Partaluu.
Bosnar, though, had been unlucky when his thunderbolt free kick from all of 35 metres, had Redmayne going full length to a top corner save. The Mariners then pushed City back; Hutch played a super ball to Rose on the left and Redmayne was again in action, deflecting the ball away from Cernak. Cernak, who had played well, was then replaced by Sim who missed the easiest of chances after Major has out muscled the muscular Kisnorbo and placed the cross exactly where he would have wanted it; but Sim somehow found a way to head the ball over the bar. Major again, an impressive cross field ball to Fitzgerald, who wriggled his way to the goal line to win a corner. And finally Trifiro with an audacious free kick which again had Redmayne full length to save.
Every player did well today but I was particularly impressed by the full backs, the aggressive Poscoliero and the intelligent Rose; the two inventive midfielders, Caceres and Trifiro; the controlled play of newly 36 years old Hutchinson, and the spectacular genius of Liam Reddy but my MoM goes to the irrepressible Duke who finally found the way to goal and inspired the team to a deserved victory.

 

[Atomic]

A shout out to Major's debut today also. He was let down by much sloppier CCM passing second half, but that's still a great debut. He should have had an assist. Kisnorbo is a very experienced, strong, physical and athletic defender. To more than hold his own against him like that was awesome to watch. And you can see he's hungry. Bodes well.

Agree with you 100%. FP. Kisnorbo was using all of his vast experience to try and intimidate and dominate Major, but Major gave as good as he got. Alot of this was off the ball and it became a very entertaining battle to watch.

Oh, and that cross to Sim... it was the duck's guts!

A very promising start to what I hope will be a fruitful (or should I say Fruit for All ) Mariners career.

 

[justafan]

At last !! Great team effort with some brilliant individual performances. Positive attitude from the start of the game. Taking charge instead of just sitting deep and allowing the opposition to dictate play. First half could have ended 3 or even 4 goals up if Caceres's bottom corner bound shot wasn't magnificently intercepted by A.Mooy and Dukey's powerful shot was kept a bit lower. Really enjoyed watching our ball movement and the continuous manner in which we just focused in pushing forward. Up front Cernak, Duke and in a lower scale Vernes (who looses or gives away possession careless ) were constantly creating space and causin havoc to the city defenders. Behind them Trifiro and Caceres were in charge of all creativity with a very supportive Hutch. In defense, Posco and Bosnar had most of the inconviniences under control. Reddy with 2 terrific saves made up for a now, very common mistake. FFS Reddy!! When it comes to foot work: YOU'RE NOT MATTY RYAN !! Just get rid of it !!

2nd half it was obvious that we were going to drop back and try to get them in the counter. Imo we were still in control and when Velaphi was sent off , it was game over. Great feeling. It was proven that the team is very much capable of beating any team in the HAL. Hopefully, yesterday was the beginning of a tough route to the top 6. I believe we are more than capable of achieving. Go Mariners !! Special mention to the yellow army and the band. You were terrific.

Duke 3 pts
Caceres 2
Posco 1

 

[justafan]

Duke Fires up the Mariners​

. And then came Velaphi’s red card. Hutchinson, I think it was, whose pass over the defence sent Duke away at high speed. Velaphi came racing out of his area and just as Duke tipped the ball past him with his left foot, collected the Mariners’ striker and sent him sprawling. Velaphi, denying Duke his hat trick, left the field to a red card; .

It was Caceres who after valiantly gaining the ball with a good tackle, puts a great pass over the defence. I think that incident secure us the win.

 

[go you yellow]

Cannot disagree with this more. He has not had a lot of game time but he should have had a penalty - but still gave the pass to Duke for his second. He also set up a third for Duke (except Duke was on his heels) that would have meant about a 30 minute hat-trick. For the first 30 minutes he was pulling all the strings. All the guy needs is game time.

I am with Pat here, he was very well positioned and gave us good options on the left and Cernak likewise on the right. I am a fan of Fitzy but he doesn't look up when he is on the ball , vernes however fed Dukey some really nice ball.

More game time please !

 

[go you yellow]

Two hands square in the back didn't look like simulation to me. Also did you notice that when he went off - quickly followed by Duke and Koren from City that City suddenly dominated in the middle. Vernes, Trifiro and Caceres were bossing the midfield until then and yet when he went off we were chasing the ball even though we had the extra man.

As for (d) the player that was being ignored, especially by Jacob was Zac. It was clear that he had very little trust in him.

Not simulation at all two hands in the back from the fullback , it may not have been with a lot of force but when you go into a players back like that you put yourself at risk, - thought he did well to continue to fight and set up Dukey for the goal. Class assist.

 

[style_cafe]

Two hands square in the back didn't look like simulation to me. Also did you notice that when he went off - quickly followed by Duke and Koren from City that City suddenly dominated in the middle. Vernes, Trifiro and Caceres were bossing the midfield until then and yet when he went off we were chasing the ball even though we had the extra man.

As for (d) the player that was being ignored, especially by Jacob was Zac. It was clear that he had very little trust in him.

I`ve looked at the second goal about a dozen times now. There doesn`t appear to be "two hands square in the back". In fact, the referee was perfectly positioned & only about 6m away, & he never looked like blowing the whistle.Also, the was no appeal for a penalty either. For mine Vernes leans into the defender then falls. I was sitting in the eastern stand directly in line with the incident & although some distance away didn`t see a push.
That aside, the socks hanging on the shin-pads look is just sloppy & as well as the other things I mentioned earlier for mine he is not up to standard.
On that perfomance, I hope he doesn`t get any more game time. If he does,I certainly hope he proves me wrong.

 

[style_cafe]

Not simulation at all two hands in the back from the fullback , it may not have been with a lot of force but when you go into a players back like that you put yourself at risk, - thought he did well to continue to fight and set up Dukey for the goal. Class assist.

I don`t disagree that he did well to get the ball to Duke whilst on the ground.
As for the "push" I find it strange that he falls sideways when the defender is behind him.