Mariners win at the death in thrilling relegation encounter
The Central Coast Mariners secured a huge three points to keep its hopes of staying in the NPL Men’s NSW competition after scoring a 94th minute penalty thanks to Lucas Scicluna in their victory over relegation threatened Sutherland Sharks at Seymour Shaw Park on Saturday.
Sharks’ stalwart Mitch Stamatellis was deemed to have clipped Jai Rose inside the box, earning a yellow card for the action, allowing Mariners’ skipper Scicluna to remain composed and calmly slot home.
It was a passage of play that also saw Sharks’ Assistant Coach, Joe Caleta, ordered from the dugout with just seconds remaining.
With basically the season depending on the outcome, not entirely so but as close to it as it can get, it came as no surprise it was a pretty cagey affair with neither side prepared to take risks early on so probing down the flanks was the order of the day.
It was evident from the kick-off it was to be a match that carried so much weight of expectation with a number of what could be described as ‘heavy tackles’ sneaking in providing an undercurrent of simmering aggression but it was the visitors who came close in just the 4th minute when the pace of Donatien Niyonkuru took him beyond a back-peddling Sharks’ defence to lob the advancing Nenad Vekic only to see his effort bounce just wide of the woodwork.
The pace of the Mariners was always cause for concern, particularly down the right flank, but after the early foray forward Sutherland were proving a tough nut to crack.
Rocco Smith found himself in the book when upending Matthew Moric at the other end providing Levi Sciuriaga with an opportunity to fire goalward from the free-kick but sadly for the home fans he curled it over the bar from the edge of the area.
There was also some concern shown when Jay McGowan sustained a head injury resulting in a change of shirt number to 26, normally associated with Jake Garner who took no part in the day’s match
With the Mariners attack temporarily blunted, Sciuriaga forced Jack Warshawsky into a point blank save in the 28th minute when wriggling free of his marker with a neat twist and turn on the edge of the area before sending in a hard low shot the ‘keeper parried but the Sharks’ striker was unable to net the rebound.
It was finely balanced with each side enjoying decent spells of control and dominance but as the first-half came to an end neither was able to breach the other’s backline and so the break was reached with plenty of attacking commitment but no goals.
The visitors looked sharp going forward but lacked a clinical finisher when it mattered but the Sharks were giving as good as they got at the other end.
Sutherland came close once more on the restart but again Warshawsky saved the visitors blushes before Kotaro Katsuta was adjudged to be offside yet it was a wake up call the Mariners would do well to heed but were finding it difficult to break out of their own half until a swift counter saw Jordan Small fire in a curling shot that Vekic did well to turn away six minutes in.
It was to and fro, thrust and counter with neither truly able to gain the advantage and, perhaps, net the goal that could provide the vital three-points before Mo Ahmed, having put in a solid performance, was replaced by Mason Fernandez for the home side just after the hour mark with the Coasties responding moments later by bringing on Ahmad Elhelou to replace Yani Hassis but not before a Chris Lindsay corner found the head of Stamatellis that was blocked and eventually cleared.
McGowan volleyed, hoping to net his eighth of the season, but again the Mariners gloveman was able to palm the ball away for a corner with fifteen minutes remaining before Vekic was called into action to deny Smith at the opposite end and with additional substitutions changing the focal point of attack, it proved neither wanted to share the spoils.
Then came the disappointment for the home fans on a bitterly chilled evening when Stamatellis gave away a penalty for a foul on substitute Rose that was to decide the outcome when Scicluna netted in a match that had ‘draw’ written all over it until the late stoppage time drama that prompted Mariners Coach, Lucas Vilela, to comment.
“We knew it would be a tough game as Sutherland has been playing some good football lately,” he said.
“I think they deserve to be in a better position but we had two teams that went out to play football today and we knew we had to do our best and fight until the end.
“I have to give everything to my guys as they kept fighting and created the chance to win the game in what was a very even contest but unfortunately for (Mitch) Stamatellis, he touched our player and we won the penalty to give us the game. Thankfully we have the quality to put it away and get the three points but it’s not over yet and we still have the ‘Finals’ to play before the end of the season, three massive games so we’ll keep ourselves grounded and prepare for what is to come.
“Obviously we’re delighted with the result, particularly after losing a point during the week, it’s a big three points for us but we have to build on that now,” he concluded.
Sharks’ Assistant Coach, Joe Caleta, was disconsolate at the whistle and could only add, “We’re very, very disappointed with the outcome in a match we didn’t deserve to lose under these conditions.”
Match Stats
Sutherland Sharks 0
Central Coast Mariners 1 (Lucas Scicluna 94′ pen)
Seymour Shaw Park, Miranda
Saturday, 4th August 2024
Referee: Kurt Ams
Assistants: Matthew McOrist and Matthew Harris
Fourth Official: Charbel Geha
Sutherland Sharks: 1. Nenad Vekic, 2. Kotaro Katsuta, 4. Mitch Stamatellis, 5. Takahide Umebachi, 7. Lachlan McDonald, 8. Mo Ahmed (10. Mason Fernandez 62’), 11 (26). Jay McGowan, 14. Chris Lindsay, 15. Matthew Moric, 27. Matty Jackson, 77. Levi Sciuriaga (6. Sam Gulisano 76’)
Subs not used: 3. Jordan Roberts, 9. Andrew Vlahadamis, 43. Ikko Ehode-Armimoto, 99. Jacob Cremen-Cowan
Yellow Cards: Kotaro Katsuta 45’, Mitch Stamatellis 90+1’
Red Cards: Nil
Central Coast Mariners: 1. Jack Warshawsky, 3. Cher Dong, 4. Parker Williams, 5. Harry Menham, 6. Jordan Small, 7. Arther De Lima 8. Lucas Scicluna, 10. Taye Hedley (17. Jai Rose 79’), 11. Donatien Niyonkuru (12. Haine Eames 79’), 13. Yani Hassis (28. Ahmad Elhelou 65’), 22. Rocco Smith
Subs not used: 20. Jai Ajanovic, 24. Angus Reid, 41. Alexander Gountounas
Yellow Cards: Rocco Smith 9’, Haine Eames 87’
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings
3 – Lucas Scicluna (CCM)
2 – Jay McGowan (SS)
1 – Jack Warshawsky (CCM)
By NPL NSW Men’s Reporter Micky Brock