In the second game of the double header at SFS last night the Central Coast Mariners played out-of-form Perth Glory off the park in the first half with a close passing game and then sunk them into more despond in the second with 4 goals and an own goal - ending 5-0.
With Glory coming into this away game with 6 losses on the trot their 'Interim' coach Ian Ferguson (a former assistant at the Mariners) shuffled his pack again, bringing back some earlier first choice players. Graham Arnold had midfielder John Hutchinson out and lost Patricio Perez on the eve of the game to a back problem. Boldly he started 17 year old Young Socceroo Mustafa Amini.
Both sides probed for the opening minutes and the first real chance didn't come until the 27th minute when former Glory player Daniel McBreen had a fierce shot blocked.
In the 33rd minute Robbie Fowler, who was mostly starved of service, got his first chance with a snap shot that went just wide of the right post.
Two minutes later Michael McGlinchey who, with Pedj Bojic, was running a motorway down the left side of the Glory, hit a stinging shot on the run but into the side netting.
The Mariners won a free kick in the 37th minute, with Oly Bozanic free with the ball facing goal it was brought back to the left by referee Ryan Shepheard. The Coast players complained but not for long as Bozanic's free keep low and bounced up off the turf to be met by a sweet header by Rostyn Griffiths, whose young marker Ryan Pearson had left him, and into the net. 1-0
It was a relief for Coast fans as for all the dominance it had been a Mariners bent to lose a game to a goal against the run of play.
The Coast were playing some lovely on the deck, close control, close passing. In fact they looked more like the Roar, even than the real Roar who played earlier.
Coast 'keeper Mathew Ryan made a good save to deny Steven McGarry, however the score remained 1-0 at the break. The Glory came out after oranges with a noticeably greater intensity.
It was to be to no avail however. Danger signs in the 58th minute when Mustafa Amini waltzed through the middle and struck a low drive on target that Perth 'keeper Tando Velaphi did very well to palm wide.
In the 60th minute a pass from Amini beat the Perth defence and then Daniel McBreen 'brushed off' Jamie Coyne and 'squared' the ball across to the right side of goal, where Matt Simon slid in and netted. 2-0
Branko Jelic got his perhaps only half-chance of the game two minutes later but couldn't get on the end of a Mile Sterjovksi shot/pass.
With Pedj Bojic going off injured Coast captain Alex Wilkinson moved to left back, and this broke the Mariners rhythm a little, however it gave the 6 season-man the opportunity to provide an assist in the next goal. Laying off the ball on the right he moved upfield where the ball came back, via Bozanic and McBreen. Wilko shielded the ball and then slipped it to substitute Adam Kwasnik who slammed the ball past Velaphi. 3-0
Despite Robbie Fowler trying a looping header against Matt Ryan, the 18 yo 'keeper kept his cool and dragged it down easily.
The 'inevitable' fourth goal came in the 86th minute when McGlinchey picked up a loose ball after a Glory attack broke down, and surged up field. His first pass was blocked but the rebound came to him, and he hit it left to young substitute Matthew Lewis who was surging down the left. Lewis sized up the opportunity as he deadened the run of the ball and struck it across goal and in off the right post. 4-0
As the few thousand loyal Mariners fans chanted 'we want 6', it was provided for them as Naum Sekulovski attempted to intervene in a pass from the left by Lewis to Kwasnik but only succeeded in bulging his own net. 5-0
A consumate display by the Mariners and more grief for Glory!
"I think I've been patient with people and given them the chance and opportunity to try and resurrect what's been happening and now it's time to make big, big changes", Glory coach Ian Ferguson said. "We've got to change this. There's no doubt about that"
Mariners coach Graham Arnold said after the game, "I'm very pleased with the performance of the side tonight. I've been hoping we would do that to someone sooner rather than later, and it's a tremendous confidence booster for the boys. "We played the way I wanted them to play."
Arnold praised the contribution of his younger players. "You never know what the young boys can do until you give them the chance. So why not?"