Australia NewsBozza Enjoys Winning Start |
MARK Bosnich enjoyed a winning start to life in the A-League as Central Coast Mariners defeated Queensland Roar 4-2 at Suncorp Stadium.
While much of the pre-match interest focused on comeback keeper Bosnich, it was his teammates Matt Simon, Mile Jedinak and Dylan Macallister who ended up stealing the show.
Simon gave the Mariners a 1-0 advantage in the first half with a fine finish from an acute angle, while Jedinak put the visitors two goals up in the third minute of the second half with a rocket free kick.
Macallister, meanwhile, enjoyed a dream debut for the Mariners, scoring his side's third and fourth goals – the latter with an expertly taken right-foot curler into the top corner.
Bosnich, playing his first game for seven years, largely had a quiet evening at the other end of the field. But he did play a big part in the second-half drama - beaten by Charlie Miller's deft free kick and then bringing down Massimo Murdocca to concede a penalty.
The spot kick was duly converted by Sergio van Dijk in the 73rd minute and reduced the deficit to 4-2, ensuring Lawrie McKinna’s men enjoyed a nervous final 17 minutes.
The Roar pressed hard in hope of getting something out of the game. However, the Central Coast defence held firm for a well-deserved three points.
Just as was the case when the two sides met in the pre-season, Roar went unrewarded for spending large portions of the first 45 minutes in Central Coast’s half of the pitch.
The visitors looked content to soak up early pressure and generate opportunities on the counter-attack – a strategy that paid dividends when Simon scored brilliantly in the 31st minute.
Pedj Bojic robbed Charlie Miller wide on the left and his probing ball from just shy of half-way drew Roar keeper Liam Reddy out to the edge of his box.
Simon still had plenty to do, but he did it superbly, taking the ball round Reddy and Luke DeVere with his first touch and then rolling it home from an acute angle.
The Mariners were creating the better of the chances and Simon had Reddy on the move again in the 44th minute with a dangerous hooked right-foot ball across the box.
Bosnich had his first touch inside the opening 30 seconds but wasn't called into serious action until the 46th minute, when he came to claim a dangerous looking Miller free kick.
That said, the former Manchester United, Chelsea and Aston Villa stopper would have had some work to do had the Roar enjoyed a little better fortune on its forays forward.
Miller found Michael Zullo with a delightful cutback in the 23rd minute, but the dimunitive winger could not make decisive contact with his shot.
Van Dijk also had a good first-half chance, but his potentially goal-bound right-foot strike hit Central Coast bodies and bounced around the area like a pinball.
The Mariners suffered a major blow in the 12th minute when Ahmad Elrich left the field with what was suspected to be a season-ending knee injury.
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