Mariners beat Tasmania 3-1 in friendly

Photo:  Mariners' Jacob Esposito (left) and Tasmania's Noah Mies fight for possession [Plesspix]

(Friendly, South Hobart Oval, Sunday, 8 September 2019)

Tasmania 1 (B Hamlett 85)

Central Coast Mariners 3 (J Murray 12, Z Gordon 66, M McGlinchey 70)

HT:  0-1   Att: 1,000   Ref:  B Kopra

Tasmania:  Pitchford  -  Parke, Price, Mulraney, Douce  -  Dyer, Hingston, Stone  -  Bidwell, Barnard, N’Koso  (Subs:  Little, Young, Muller, Gorrie, Hey, Kemp, Hamlett, Herweynen, Mies, Pace, Hill)

Central Coast Mariners:  Pearce  -  Esposito, Gordon, Miller, Hatch  -  Melling, Skotadis, McGlinchey, Duric  -  Majok, Murray  (Subs:  Birighitti, Clisby, Kim, Oar, Fox, Simon, Shabow, Nisbet, Tongyik, Ruiz-Diaz)

Photo:  Tasmania's Joffrey N'Koso (left) stretches for the ball [PlessPix]

Tasmania gave quite a good account of themselves despite losing 3-1 to A-League side Central Coast Mariners at South Hobart Oval yesterday.

The Mariners led 1-0 at the interval before scoring two more quick goals and then conceding one near the end.

The visitors played good possession football and utilised the width of the pitch to good effect.

The Tasmanians worked hard, but they found it difficult to maintain the effort as most had played 90 minutes the previous day and some had also attended Football Tasmania’s awards presentation dinner on Saturday night.

It was just as well that Tasmanian fielded two different sets of players for each half.

Photo:  Mariners keeper Adam Pearce grabs the ball as Tasmania's Joel Stone tries to get past Mariners' skipper Ziggy Gordon [PlessPix]

Eddie Bidwell and Joel Stone played in the first half  -  there were seven Devonport players in the opening line-up  -  and were then called back to the fray during the second half after starting on the bench after the interval.

Tasmanian goalkeeper Nathan Pitchford was the first-half custodian and he produced excellent saves to deny Abraham Majok twice, Jordan Murray twice, and Michael McGlinchey.

It was Murray, however, who gave the Mariners the lead in the 12^th minute following a corner.

Tasmania had half-chances through Charlie Dyer, Miles Barnard and Keenan Douce, although Mariners keeper Adam Pearce did not have a save to make.

Photo:  Tasmania's Miles Barnard (right) grapples with Mariners' Lewis Miller [PlessPix]

A different Tasmanian line-up in the second half conceded two goals in 5 minutes just past the half-way mark of the second period.

In the 66^th minute, a short corner from the right enabled McGlinchey to cross to the far post where captain Ziggy Gordon sneaked in and slotted home from close range to give Mariners a 2-0 lead.

In the 7oth minute, McGlinchey was presented with a chance on the left of the box and his shot was touched by keeper Jarrod Hill but the ball continued into the net to make it 3-0.

Jordan Muller and Thomas Young then went close for Tasmania, but the Mariners still dangerous, particularly through their substitutes and triallists.

Photo:  Tasmania's Miles Barnard (right) on the attack [PlessPix]

Five minutes from the end, Tasmania’s efforts were rewarded when theu pulled a goal back.  Stone played a cross-field pass to Adam Gorrie on the right and his low cross was touched home by Ben Hamlett.

“A little bit scrappy at times, a little bit disjointed at times, but some good passages of play as well,” is how Mariners coach Alen Stajcic summed up the game.

“Like usual, there’s always things we pick up from the games and so always good learning.”

Photo:  Mariners coach Alen Stajcic [PlessPix]

Stajcic aid it was good to come to Tasmania as part of the club’s pre-season preparations.

“It’s a long pre-season in the A-League,” he said.

“It’s the longest pre-season in the history of world football, 16 weeks together, so just getting away from the central coast [is good].  We’ve got a beautiful place up there that we all live at, but just getting away down here, mixing it up and trying to spread, first of all, our club, but also the game of football and trying to improve the popularity of the sport around the country as well.

“Tasmania were very competitive.  They played well.  The game was played in a good spirit and there were a couple of good players there as well and I’m sure they got a bit of a buzz out of playing against A-League opposition and seeing what the level is of those players.

“It’s a win-win all round, for the local players and for our game and our players.”

Photo:  One of the Tasmanian coaches, Rick Coghlan [PlessPix]

One of the Tasmanian coaches, Devonport’s Rick Coghlan, had nothing but praise for the Tasmanian players and for the South Hobart club for arranging the Mariners’ visit.

“Having played yesterday and then having the awards night, there were some heavy legs out there,” Coghlan said.

“The younger players had a point to prove.  They wanted to put themselves and Tasmania on the map.  If those boys were in a full-time environment, seven days a week, three hours a day, and all the trimmings that go with it, imagine what the state of football could be.”

Coghlan aid some of the players had represented Tasmania at junior level and this was the first occasion they had teamed up again at senior level.

“It was more excitement and pride in representing their State rather than nerves,” Coghlan said.

“There was some good camaraderie amongst the boys.  It was a proud moment for these boys.”

Photo:  Mariners captain Ziggy Gordon clears ahead of Tasmania's Eddie Bidwell [PlessPix]

David Smith, the other Tasmanian coach, also praised his players, especially given that they virtually went into the game without any preparation.

“We tried to press a bit higher and I thought we did quite well in the second half for the first 10 minutes, but then conceded a soft second goal.

“We tended to give possession away and that put pressure on us,” Smith said.

“It was a challenge, but it was a good challenge.  The boys know how to play, but they just need the confidence to do it.”

Photo:  Mariners skipper Ziggy Gordon is in with a chance [PlessPix]

Smith said the players had been sensible the night before, but the effects of travel and the Saturday games had told on the squad.

“Getting a goal was good for everyone,” Smith said.  ‘We bring these teams down and we usually don’t score.

“It was a great move.  There must have been twelve or fifteen passes before we finished it.

“We just need to have faith in ourselves and go an attack teams instead of sitting back and trying to catch them on the break.

“If we trained, we could score more goals like that.”

Photo:  Tasmania's Thomas Little  (right) shuts down a Mariners attacker [PlessPix]

Photo:  Tobias Herweynen tackles Jacob Esposito [PlessPix]

Photo:  Jayden Hey lines up a Mariners opponent [PlessPix] 

Photo:  Central Coast Mariners' Jordan Murray (No.9) opens the scoring against Tasmania [PlessPix]