Mariners Burn(s)ed by the Nix
For thirty minutes, resplendent in pink, the Mariners dominated this game, their flowing football as bright as the shirts they wore. Moss had ignored the midweek claims of Trifiro and Caceres, recalling Montgomery and Kim, but caused a surprise by promoting recent signing Jacob Poscoliero to the starting line up instead of Zac Anderson, who was on the bench.
Poor Jacob Poscoliero! He will remember his A League debut for a long time. Thirty three minutes gone and Jeremy Brockie escapes and Poscoliero clumsily brings him down for a stone cold penalty. Except I don ‘t think it should not have been a penalty, it should have been offside. Poscoliero deliberately allowed Brockie to get a shoulder to breach the offside line but as the ball came through the lino didn’t make the call and Poscoliero was left adrift. He got a yellow card for his trouble. It seemed only justice when Brockie missed, slamming the ball against the bar, but the Mariners defending was poor, ball watching instead of moving, and little Michael McGlinchey got enough on the header for the ball to sneak home past Reddy’s full length dive. His celebration was respectfully modest.
It was a goal quite against the flow of play. Apart from an early chance for Brockie to chip the ball over Reddy the Phoenix had been outplayed. The Mariners football had been delightful; they dominated possession, moving the ball comfortably and accurately, rolling the ball all over the park with real style. The opening goal was certainly fortunate but no more than they deserved. Sim played a one two with Kim but the return pass was a touch too long, the chance seemed lost. Full back Thomas Doyle fell victim to the modern mantra of tippy tappy football; where an old fashioned defender would have got rid, would have simply hacked the ball away, Doyle, a modern metrosexual looking gentleman, decided to play the ball out and only succeeded in gently passing the ball into his own net.
The Mariners cranked it up, the defence was as tight packed as the mangroves on the fringes of Brisbane Water, the midfield, led by Montgomery, first to the ball, and it seemed just a matter of time for a second goal. Duke came close with a ferocious shot from the right wing, cutting inside to unleash with his left; it was a wonderful effort but Moss’s flying save was equal to it. From the resulting corner Durante clearly handled; the defender ruefully smiled as the officials missed the offence.
And then came the Wellington equaliser and the air suddenly went out of the Mariners’ sauce bottle. Wellington now took over the game, and looked the better side and the Mariners didn’t get back into it until the last fifteen minutes. Durante led the defence with real authority, Manny Muscat had Malick Mané firmly in his pocket, McGlinchey inspired the mobile midfield and Nathan Burns was hot to handle.
The winning goal owed everything to the football of yesteryear; an old fashioned move, as old as football itself. A cross, perfectly measured by Doyle, to Brockie at the far post, his knockdown delightedly forced home by Burns. An unprintable expletive from the Mariners’ bench came across the airwaves.
Trifiro replaced the invisible Kim. Sim ploughed forward and forced a full length save from Moss, erroneously given as a goal kick. Caceres replaced Montgomery. Mane finally got free from his gaoler and caused problems for Wellington but could not get the final touch. Fitzgerald replaced Mané and the Mariners rallied to try to save the game.
There is a weakness to Fitzgerald’s game: finishing. A promising footballer with energy, pace and skill he regularly lets himself down by missing good scoring opportunities. He did it again today. A great passing move from the Mariners, a perfect cross from Josh Rose; a wonderful chance to grab the equaliser, but he headed against the post. He will relive that chance all week.
Trifiro, busy as is his way, cleverly played Duke in for another chance but Moss got his fingers to it and turned it wide. The Mariners were now back in control and seemed sure to equalise as they pressed the Kiwis back but, despite much huff and puff, in particular from Sim, the Phoenix held on for a notable victory.
The result was a big disappointment, a real let down after the midweek 5-0 win in the FFA Cup, but the positive to take out of the game is that if the Mariners can reproduce the same quality of football for a full game as they showed in the first half hour they will be a force to be reckoned with. It is early days yet; this was a real improvement on last weekend’s display.
Poscoliero was no better, no worse, than Anderson, perhaps more comfortable on the ball. Caceres was a disappointing replacement for the equally poor Kim. Duke was willing and unlucky not to score, as was Matt Sim. Rose put in a solid shift but Roux struggled to make any impact. Mane was brought firmly back to Earth by the canny Muscat; my MoM was the hard working intelligent Nick Montgomery.
