It's not that Sydney aren't worth watching without Terry McFlynn or because he's my favourite Sydney FC player and you can't read anything into the fact I haven't watched them since round 4 when he was injured (how many games did they lose while he was out?) and now he's back I'm watching again ... but isn't he fantastic!
Yes, yes. Mariners have a pretty promising Mc and their Mac also came close to scoring ... but wasn't Tezza fantastic!
Seriously.
Seriously: Terry McFlynn, back from injury, scored Sydney FC's winner in the 21st minute and Central Coast, despite having some good chances and pressing hard in the second half, have no reason to quibble with the result.
In fact, while I'm surprised the stats reckon Sydney had more shots, I'm just as surprised they show Mariners had more possession. In the first half, especially, Sydney were the only team who looked like they knew what they were doing.
The crowd wasn't great ... but thunderstorms were forecast. The Cove was full, of course, and the visiting fans were in good voice.
Sydney were on the attack first, winning a free kick in the middle after which Danny Vukovic had to make a save on the ground.
Alex Brosque, Sydney's best in the first half, was dangerous down the left, with McFlynn pushing forward inside him.
Karol Kisel, generally disappointing, wasted a good ball from Steve Corica and hurt his knee in a collision with a Mariners defender.
Sebastian Ryall was also profligate with Sydney's possession. But the rest of the team was profluent (words in close proximity in the dictionary in case you are checking).
Dean Heffernan beat Kisel on the left and crossed and Mariners won a corner.
Brosque fouled 25 metres from his own goal, the low free kick was blocked and the subsequent shot was held by Clint Bolton.
Brosque countered quickly down the left, regained the ball in the middle and hit it just too long for McFlynn running into the box.
Ryall and Kisel couldn't get through Michael McGlinchey and John Hutchinson.
In the 14th minute a great ball from John Hutchinson at the top left of the Sydney penalty area found Dylan Macallister, who made a flying header (see the photo) towards the right upright but was denied by a pretty darned good save from Bolton.
Simon Colosimo perpetrated another foul closer to the Sydney penalty area and Pedj Bojic's shot just dipped over the crossbar.
Corica hit a good long ball from midfield to Kisel on the right. Kisel collected the ball near the goal line and crossed high. Brosque's header was deflected over the goal for a corner. The corner was played back to Kisel who slogged a volley high over goal.
In the 21st minute Stuart Musialik, who was playing deep behind McFlynn and Corica, was frustrated when, instead of getting the ball, he saw it go to Corica on the right. Corica did well to keep possession but dug himself into a hole on the sideline. He spotted the rueful Musialik alone in the middle of the park and played the ball back. Musialik did what he is good at and did it beautifully, dropping the ball near the left of the goal box where McFlynn connected with an exquisite header. Sigh. Vukovic had no chance and three boys in the right corner of the stands got to join in McFlynn's high five celebrations.
Welcome back, Tezza!
Even before the goal I was thinking Sydney looked better organised, like they had some ideas. Mariners were relying on patches of individuality.
Dean Heffernan was good putting pressure on Brosque and Sydney conceded another free kick for a foul on Nicky Travis. Bolton came out well to hold Hutchinson's kick. Sydney countered quickly, again with Brosque down the left. Brosque, with pressure from behind, hit his final pass too hard.
McFlynn committed two fouls in quick succession (I'm surprised the final foul count was so close; but pleased it was such a clean game: no cards).
In the 30th minute Mark Bridge down the left played Brosque into the penalty area; Brosque squared the ball to Corica, who turned it wide of the right post.
Corica soon returned the favour to Brosque, whose soft shot still called a diving save from Vukovic.
In the 34th minute McFlynn hit a left foot shot across goal beyond the right post.
Brosque, despite all his energy and ingenuity, couldn't beat both Bojic and Hutchinson on the right side of Mariners' penalty area.
But then he collected the ball in his own half, held, held, beat two players, progressed well into Central Coast territory and delivered to Sung-Hwan Byun on the left. Byun skied his shot.
And then! Brosque got mangled. And what? The ref didn't care. Can't he see the entertaining Brosque is down? And what! Mariners play on regardless? No wonder the crowd jeer. No wonder they boo. Sportsmanship? Pha!
For whatever reason, Brosque was not as delightful henceforth.
In the 40th minute Boogaard hit a great dig as he fell over and Bolton was required to stop the ball dropping under the crossbar. From the corner Boogaard headed high and was disappointed he didn't do better.
Stephan Keller was looking good, Brosque had lost his zip and McFlynn was still going great guns.
Just to prove me wrong, McGlinchey turned Keller but shot way too high.
By half time Sydney were looking much better (Brosque, McFlynn and Corica were the standouts), but there wasn't much in it and a good pep talk by the aggravated Lawrie McKinna could see a different Mariners in the second half. A lucky break and who knows. No interesting fan or bathroom conversations. The guy next to me, who I had to kick out of my seat, was some kind of Pom, who knew a fair bit about Sydney FC. His kids kept climbing over me. Just smile sweetly and guard your beer. We want Sydney FC to be family friendly, don't we?
In the 51st minute Mrdja wasted a great opportunity stumbling over the ball while Bolton was rushing back between the posts after stepping on the ball and messing a clearance.
Brosque, supine, failed to connect with a Kisel cross, set up by Corica. Then in the 57th minute Bridge struck well close to goal but Vukovic made a fine save.
A storm was looming and I needed to evacuate. If only Sydney could seal it soon. But it was just as likely Mariners would score: end to end it went; counter attack followed by counter-counter-attack.
A poor pass by Musialik gave a long period of possession to Mariners, ended by Colosimo blocking a McGlinchey shot and McFlynn mopping up.
Macallister, breaking through, onside and into the Sydney penalty area, couldn't evade Colosimo.
A great build up by Sydney ended with Corica diving in vain at the right post. Sydney won a free kick and Mariners looked panicky.
Hutchinson was good playing Travis to Sydney's goal line. Travis' hard cross was parried by Bolton out of the penalty area.
Another dangerous run by McGlinchey won Mariners a corner. Adam Kwasnik came on for Mrdja. The corner was cleared long by a Keller header but it fell to McGlinchey, whose volley very nearly beat Bolton under the crossbar.
Another clearance fell to @#$%&* McGlinchey in the penalty area. McGlinchey had a good right foot chance but, thankfully for Sydney, he took the ball to his left foot, giving the defence time to shut him down.
And again McGlinchey got onto a clearance, this time outside the box. But again he didn't take the chance first time, instead pushing forward for a closer strike which also was shut down.
In the 74th minute Brosque had a flick header over the crossbar — just when I was thinking he'd been having a quiet half.
Bradley Porter, who replaced Travis, was quick; too quick for Byun, but his first cross was no good. When he beat Byun a second time his cross was better but Sydney cleared nevertheless.
And I was clear out of there as the rain started falling. Had to be home to play indoor and who wants to get caught in the far corner of a car park in a thunderstorm?
Tezza could manage okay without me.
As the "heavens opened up" in the dying minutes I was heading toward the highway and Keller was stretchered off after a head clash.
Sydney had looked the goods and were back on top of the table. Perhaps now they'll show some consistency.