CENTRAL COAST CAN'T BACK IT UP

It has been donkey's years since the Mariners last backed up a cleansheet at home and in front of a sparse but passionately joyous home crowd, it would have been a pleasure to see them do so in style against United.

After a half-time spraying from Gertjan Verbeek (hope nothing was caught in that moustache) Ben Halloran was having none of that sentimentality, however.

Still, it remains a testament to Alen Stajcic's coaching ability that they could identify those lapses in concentration and fragile mental moments that led to their dispiriting 3-1 loss to the Reds at Hindmarsh, and turn it around in just a few weeks.

Sort of.

The problem is, no matter how good they are in periods, they seem equally capable of letting everything slip the next. But personally, we believe they are still getting better.

Stajcic's team were ruthlessly attacking, utilising Danny De Silva with momentous precision as the attacking midfielder drifted out wide and linked up his teammates - whether they be natural goalscorers like Milan Duric or fullbacks-cum-wingers like Lewis Miller - to devastating effect.

"We've had a really good week and training and we just want to finish this game off and make sure everyone has a great Christmas," an elated Jordan Murray said at half-time

"There have been lapses in concentration that we need to work on but we're feeling really good, we just need to focus."

It's that focus - the lack of capitulation - that's made all the difference for the Mariners in their wins this season. We can all remember the days of Mike Mulvey, when the Mariners would lose time and time again after going in front.

Those days seem to be slowly disappearing...in the same way that those Gosford fans are slowly trickling back through the gates.