CENTRAL Coast Mariners romped home 3-0 after Matt Simon’s hat-trick against Queensland State League outfit Capricorn Cougars at Jardine Park in Rockhampton.
The Qantas Under 23s striker was the star of the show for the Mariners and his goals were enough to ensure the Central Coast remain unbeaten after three testing pre-season trial match fixtures.
The visitors were made to work hard in the humid central Queensland conditions throughout 90 minutes.
"Tonight was good, we got three goals, the Cougars kept us on our toes the whole game and made us work very hard, but it’s always nice to score three goals," said Mariners Football Manager Lawrie McKinna.
"The performance was solid, I think Trotty had one save to make and quite easily we could have scored another five or six.
"But getting three goals, keeping a clean sheet, it was all very good, nobody got injured and there was a good crowd in attendance on a good night."
The less fancied Cougars, who sit in the bottom half of Queensland’s top-tier state wide competition, showed their desire to spring an upset from the opening whistle, frustrating the Mariners and manufacturing several respectable chances of their own.
However, with 36 minutes on the clock, Simon was on the spot to finish one of the Mariners’ better attacking advances of the half, one that involved the increasingly impressive Ahmad Elrich and fellow newcomer Dylan Macallister.
In his first start of the Mariners’ pre-season trial match program, Simon was a standout for the Central Coast alongside fellow Olympic Games hopeful Nigel Boogaard, who apart from being typically dominant in defence came close to breaking the deadlock before Simon’s intervention.
Macallister nearly doubled the visitors' advantage just prior to halftime after another neat forward movement, only to be denied by regular team-mate and goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne, who completed the entire 90 minutes for the opposition.
Despite boasting only a slender advantage at the break, Football Manager McKinna would have been encouraged by several passages of clever passing.
Bradley Porter and John Hutchinson largely dictated terms in the middle of the park, while Adam Kwasnik and Elrich were providing options in abundance on either flank.
Simon doubled his tally towards the end of the match after heading home a Kwasnik cross, before capping his memorable performance with a third from the penalty spot in stoppage time.
"It was a hot night, 28C today, a lot of the boys got 90 minutes in what was a high tempo game, we had a lot of the ball, kept moving the ball about, it was invaluable," said McKinna.
The Mariners will make one more stop in central Queensland before returning home when taking on Queensland State League challengers the Whitsunday Miners at Harrup Park on Sunday, 8 June. Kick off is at 6pm.
"Tomorrow we have a four hour bus trip, a light training run tomorrow night and then we’re back up for a game on Sunday," added McKinna. "It’s going to be hard.
"The Whitsunday Miners will be exactly the same as here, they’ll come at us 100 miles an hour, we’ll have to be at our best, be professional, do things simple, wear them down a bit and go on with the game."
Upon the Mariners’ return to the Central Coast, the yellow and navy will take on northern rivals Newcastle Jets in a Grand Final replay at Budgewoi’s Frank Millington Field on Saturday, 21 June. Kick off is at 2.45pm and entry for all spectators is a gold coin.
Match Details
Central Coast Mariners 1. Matthew Trott (gk), 2. Matt Simon, 5. Bradley Porter, 7. John Hutchinson, 9. David D’Apuzzo, 15. Andrew Clark (4. Ian McAndrew 63’), 16. Nigel Boogaard, 18. Alex Wilkinson, 19. Adam Kwasnik, 21. Ahmad Elrich (11. Damien Brown 56’), 27. Dylan Macallister (12. Brady Smith 88’)
Unused Subs 22. Sasho Petrovski
Yellow Cards Macallister 62’
Red Cards None
Goals Simon 36’, 78’, 90’+1P
Capricorn Cougars 1. Andrew Redmayne (gk), 2. Dylan Kussrow, 3. Craig Porter, 6. Clayton Rowland, 7. Michael Cay, 8. Tristan Fraser, 11. Kenny Robertson, 13. Justin McMullen, 14. Tim Hickey, 15. Roy Bob, 16. Brad Stevens
Substitutes 4. Brendan James, 5. Alex Trovato, 9. Gerard Kelly, 10. Joe Burke, 12. Danny Cox, 19. Johnathon Sauer
Yellow Cards None
Red Cards None
Goals None
Referee Chris Beeth
The visitors were made to work hard in the humid central Queensland conditions throughout 90 minutes.
"Tonight was good, we got three goals, the Cougars kept us on our toes the whole game and made us work very hard, but it’s always nice to score three goals," said Mariners Football Manager Lawrie McKinna.
"The performance was solid, I think Trotty had one save to make and quite easily we could have scored another five or six.
"But getting three goals, keeping a clean sheet, it was all very good, nobody got injured and there was a good crowd in attendance on a good night."
The less fancied Cougars, who sit in the bottom half of Queensland’s top-tier state wide competition, showed their desire to spring an upset from the opening whistle, frustrating the Mariners and manufacturing several respectable chances of their own.
However, with 36 minutes on the clock, Simon was on the spot to finish one of the Mariners’ better attacking advances of the half, one that involved the increasingly impressive Ahmad Elrich and fellow newcomer Dylan Macallister.
In his first start of the Mariners’ pre-season trial match program, Simon was a standout for the Central Coast alongside fellow Olympic Games hopeful Nigel Boogaard, who apart from being typically dominant in defence came close to breaking the deadlock before Simon’s intervention.
Macallister nearly doubled the visitors' advantage just prior to halftime after another neat forward movement, only to be denied by regular team-mate and goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne, who completed the entire 90 minutes for the opposition.
Despite boasting only a slender advantage at the break, Football Manager McKinna would have been encouraged by several passages of clever passing.
Bradley Porter and John Hutchinson largely dictated terms in the middle of the park, while Adam Kwasnik and Elrich were providing options in abundance on either flank.
Simon doubled his tally towards the end of the match after heading home a Kwasnik cross, before capping his memorable performance with a third from the penalty spot in stoppage time.
"It was a hot night, 28C today, a lot of the boys got 90 minutes in what was a high tempo game, we had a lot of the ball, kept moving the ball about, it was invaluable," said McKinna.
The Mariners will make one more stop in central Queensland before returning home when taking on Queensland State League challengers the Whitsunday Miners at Harrup Park on Sunday, 8 June. Kick off is at 6pm.
"Tomorrow we have a four hour bus trip, a light training run tomorrow night and then we’re back up for a game on Sunday," added McKinna. "It’s going to be hard.
"The Whitsunday Miners will be exactly the same as here, they’ll come at us 100 miles an hour, we’ll have to be at our best, be professional, do things simple, wear them down a bit and go on with the game."
Upon the Mariners’ return to the Central Coast, the yellow and navy will take on northern rivals Newcastle Jets in a Grand Final replay at Budgewoi’s Frank Millington Field on Saturday, 21 June. Kick off is at 2.45pm and entry for all spectators is a gold coin.
Match Details
Central Coast Mariners 1. Matthew Trott (gk), 2. Matt Simon, 5. Bradley Porter, 7. John Hutchinson, 9. David D’Apuzzo, 15. Andrew Clark (4. Ian McAndrew 63’), 16. Nigel Boogaard, 18. Alex Wilkinson, 19. Adam Kwasnik, 21. Ahmad Elrich (11. Damien Brown 56’), 27. Dylan Macallister (12. Brady Smith 88’)
Unused Subs 22. Sasho Petrovski
Yellow Cards Macallister 62’
Red Cards None
Goals Simon 36’, 78’, 90’+1P
Capricorn Cougars 1. Andrew Redmayne (gk), 2. Dylan Kussrow, 3. Craig Porter, 6. Clayton Rowland, 7. Michael Cay, 8. Tristan Fraser, 11. Kenny Robertson, 13. Justin McMullen, 14. Tim Hickey, 15. Roy Bob, 16. Brad Stevens
Substitutes 4. Brendan James, 5. Alex Trovato, 9. Gerard Kelly, 10. Joe Burke, 12. Danny Cox, 19. Johnathon Sauer
Yellow Cards None
Red Cards None
Goals None
Referee Chris Beeth
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