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09Mar19
Wellington Scuttle Mariners And Equal Records
by Jeremy Ruane
Wellington Phoenix powered into fourth place on the Hyundai A-League on March 9 after mauling the Central Coast Mariners 8-2 at Central Coast Stadium, equaling two A-League records in the process.
The result matched that recorded by Central Coast against Newcastle in the final game of the 2017-18 season, which was then the biggest scoreline ever recorded in the competition, and the game with the most number of goals scored in it.
Another record set on the night was another of which the host club will not be proud. Just 3,703 fans were present to witness this shellacking, the lowest A-League attendance in Central Coast's history.
The performance their charges produced will doubtless see that number drop further still in future fixtures. Because, quite frankly, Central Coast were awful. An embarrassment to the competition, particularly in the first half.
They started well enough, threatening to score within the first two minutes after Jacob Melling pinged a ball over the top for Jordan Murray to latch onto. A shot was on, but his left foot is used for standing purposes only.
Possession was swiftly recycled, and Jack Clisby was the beneficiary, cutting inside before unleashing a shot which Filip Kurto initially spilled, then recovered to deny Murray as he raced in looking to turn home the loose ball.
That was as good as it got for the home team in the first half, for by the time they next set their sights on Kurto's goal, Wellington were three goals to the good and could have led by more.
Their first attack, in the eighth minute, brought about the first goal of the evening. Mandi Sosa and Sarpreet Singh combined to send Roy Krishna dashing through the inside left channel, Melling left in his wake and got to the byline, from where he pulled the ball back.
The fast-retreating figure of Sam Graham could do nothing as he arrived at the near post just as the ball came across. It ricocheted into the net off his shin - 1-0, and there was already a feeling that this might be a long night at the office for Ben Kennedy and company.
Sure enough, goal number two materialised four minutes later. Antony Golec cleared the ball downfield, and no one in yellow thought to pick up Krishna, who was left unattended on the right to do as he pleased.
Kennedy saw the danger far too late, but came then compounded the situation through hesitancy, a flaw punished mercilessly by the Fijian, whose volleyed lob arced over the goalkeeper and, one bounce later, landed in the far corner of the net - 2-0.
Krishna was in again six minutes later, this time having been gifted possession by Melling. The striker's twenty-yarder was smothered by Kennedy, who looked on in despair three minutes later as Graham was caught in possession by Krishna.
The Fijian quickly supplied Singh with a pass which allowed him to draw the defence before slipping the ball into the stride of David Williams, who checked inside before rifling home number three in the 21st minute.
Imagine being a Central Coast fan and realising that the game was up with just a quarter of the match having been played. Or coach Mike Mulvey, for that matter. He was sacked after the match - understandably, but the problems at this club lie far, far deeper than who's minding the shop.
For Mulvey is the sixth manager to have been shown the door since the start of the 2014-15 campaign. And this, bear in mind, is a club which won the A-League just six years ago.
Methinks the owners have some serious explaining to do. Either that or hand the club's licence back to Football Federation Australia. After all, it can hardly be said the club is satisfying its "metrics", the criteria against which Wellington's continued existence in the league beyond the 2019-20 season will be measured nearer the time.
With their opponents in a state of shock, the visitors continued to hold sway, all the time looking to build on their advantage. Four minutes after the goal, Kennedy produced a fine double-save to thwart first Krishna, then Singh.
The 'keeper then kept out another effort from Krishna, who was picked out by Sosa's splendid free-kick to the near post, which found the Golden Boot contender six yards out and completely unmarked as he headed goalwards. Kennedy somehow stopped the ball on the line.
Still Krishna caused havoc, further pressure from the frontrunner forcing an opening from which Williams benefited in the 31st minute. He played in Singh, whose shot was blocked by the covering figure of Jonathan Aspropotamitis, the first evidence of any resistance by an outfield player since the first goal had been scored.
Wellington eased off a tad soon after this - to be honest, it was bordering on a training ground exercise, so inept was Central Coast's display. They did offer some resistance before half-time, with Stephen Mallon taking on three before linking with Michael McGlinchey and Jem Karacan in the 38th
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minute.
The latter's shot cleared the crossbar, while that struck by Murray four minutes later, following a one-two with McGlinchey, was smothered by Kurto, who saved with his leg to turn Murray's reflex shot to safety two minutes later, after Clisby's cross had been headed down by Matt Millar.
The visitors responded to this brief rally by scoring a fourth goal on the stroke of half-time. Max Burgess, so often a substitute but on this occasion a starter, staked his claim for a regular place in the first eleven with an absolute gem of a pass which split the defence and sent Krishna dashing through on goal.
Kennedy blocked his first attempt to score, but after gathering the rebound, Krishna wrong-footed the covering pair of Clisby and Aspropotamitis before battering the ball home from ten yards - 4-0.
There was no change to Wellington's approach once the second half began. Indeed, just six minutes into the second spell, it was 5-0. Sosa sent Krishna scurrying down the right, from where his low angled cross was dummied by Williams for Liberato Cacace, who was following in behind and fair hammered the ball home past Kennedy.
Two minutes later, Sosa's corner to the near post was flicked on by Williams to the far stick, past which Golec sent a header flying as he desperately sought to get in on the act against his old club.
It was Singh's turn in the 57th minute. Released by Sosa, he set sail from half-way through the middle of the park, which parted like the Red Sea for the youngster as opponents stood off him. Their failure to challenge Singh was mercilessly punished when he lashed home number six from the edge of the area.
Two minutes later it was 7-0 - Wellington were relentless at this point. Krishna played a hospital pass wide, but Louis Fenton wanted it far more than Karacan, and made it his ball.
Instantly, Singh took over, with Fenton continuing his gut-busting run in support of the playmaker, whose delicious reverse pass on the edge of the area rewarded the wing-back's tenacity. Cue a cheeky finish, nutmegging Kennedy, who was also in goal on the night Central Coast last lost 8-2. And they say lightning doesn't strike twice …
The home team had to do a heck of a lot to muster two goals at this point in the contest, because they simply hadn't competed! It's safe to say a fair few local spectators would have done far greater justice to the shirt than those charged with doing so in this match.
But Clisby gave them reason to cheer in the 61st minute. Latching onto a pass from Mallon, the fullback cut inside before curling a twenty-five yarder in off the far post to at least afford Central Coast a goal - not that their performance merited it!
The goal inspired them, however, and after Mallon had powered down the left before whipping in a cross which Kurto punched to safety, the 'keeper was beaten all ends up by a vicious twenty-yard free-kick from Mallon, which arced round the wall and crashed into the far corner of the net in the 69th minute - 7-2.
Thankfully there were no gallows humour chants of "We're going to win 8-7!" Although the home team did go close again, twelve minutes from time, when Murray's shot on the turn from a Melling pass was directed straight at Kurto.
Wellington picked up their game again in the final ten minutes, during which they could have scored four more goals. Sosa's lofted ball forward was flicked on by substitute Cillian Sheridan to send Krishna careering through seven minutes from time. He steered his hat-trick-hunting shot past Kennedy, only to see it crash against the post.
Five minutes later, Burgess caught Melling in possession and surged forward before feeding Sheridan in the area. The big striker caused the Central Coast defence no end of trouble before forcing an opening for Singh, who rammed home goal number eight.
Would there be a ninth? There should have been, with Sheridan opting to be unselfish on receipt of Singh's pass. Instead of going for goal himself, he looked to set up Krishna for his hat-trick, only for the retreating figure of Graham to at last make amends for his own goal.
Singh's resulting corner found Gianni Stensness - one of two Wellington debutants, the other being Callan Elliott - flying in to meet the ball with a header which was blocked on the line by Kennedy, on a night Charles M'Mombwa and Lewis Miller made their debuts for the home team, a night no Central Coast Mariners will ever want to remember, nor, like Wellington Phoenix fans, will ever likely forget.
Central Coast: Kennedy; Melling (booked, 54), Graham, Aspropotamitis, Clisby; Millar (Miller, 59), McGlinchey (M'Mombwa, 53), Nisbet (booked, 41) (Kekeris, 77), Karacan (booked, 23), Mallon; Murray (booked, 34)
Wellington: Kurto; Golec, Durante, Kopczynski (booked, 36); Fenton (Elliott, 66), Burgess, Sosa (Stensness, 87), Cacace; Krishna, Singh (booked, 33), Williams (Sheridan, 80)
Referee: Chris Beath
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