Central Coast Mariners edge out Celtic

The Mariners grabbed a hard fought 1-0 win over Scottish side Celtic at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night in front of 19,482 fans.

Substitute Troy Hearfield scored the only goal of the game in the 87th minute to ensure the Mariners fans travelled back to Gosford in good spirits.

Central Coast Mariners Head Coach Graham Arnold was pleased with the hit out and with the chance for local Australian players to take on some of Europe’s best.

“It was a great game to enjoy, it’s the first time all the boys have played in this stadium and against a powerhouse team like Celtic,” he said.

“They are a very good side and it was great to see some Aussie boys test themselves against that sort of opposition and they did very well.

“I think our defensive structure again was fantastic, our execution in the final third was a bit rusty, but overall very good.”

Celtic Manager Neil Lennon was also pleased with his sides display in their first pre-season match of the season.

“Considering the lack of preparation we had it was always going to be the toughest day of the tour,” he said.

“I am very pleased, not with the result, but the players condition and the quality of the players in the second half which was a remarkable performance considering they have been through with only one days training.”

Arnold was also quick to deny speculation regarding Mustafa Amini’s absence in the game stating the youngster needed a break before the upcoming U/20 World Cup in Colombia.

“He is injured,” he stated.

“He wanted to play, but for me the U/20 World Cup is more important then today.”

Arnold decided to stick with his tried and trusted 4-4-2 diamond formation which saw his side come within inches of claiming the Hyundai A-League Championship last year. In the Absence of Mustafa Amini, new signing Adriano Pellegrino was given his chance to impress in the centre attacking midfield.

In a tight physical battle chances were few and far between in the first half as both team lacked creative touch.

Central Coast seemed to have the better of the opening fifteen minutes, but they could not create any opportunities despite having the greater possession.

Mariners striker Daniel McBreen copped a lot of attention from the Celtic centre half Glenn Loovens in the first half as he tried to use his physical presence to his advantage, however it was all in vain as Dutch international defender Loovens looked to have McBreen well covered.

Throughout the first period the main attacking threat for the Central Coast came from out the left flank as overlapping fullback Joshua Rose and Bernie Ibini-Isei combined well to look a constant threat.

The first real shot from the first half fell to the Mariners in the 39th minute from a set piece. Former Celtic player Michael McGlinchey stepped up to try and score against his former club, but he could only direct his effort into the wall.


During the halftime interval Neil Lennon made numerous changes to his side including introducing striker Gary Hooper who has been touted as a possible future England International by England coach Fabio Capello.

Other substitutes were Paddy McCourt and Anthony Stokes looked lively in the opening moments of the second half as Celtic looked to gain ascendancy of the match.

The new striking pairing of Hooper and Stokes looked lively in the second half and were well supported by captain Scott Brown who was strong in the centre of the park.

The Mariners best chances looked to come on the counter through young striker Ibini-Isei who often threatened to catch Celtic out with his blistering pace.

Mariners coach Graham Arnold made his first substitution of the night bringing on new signing Michael Baird for veteran striker Daniel McBreen.

Arguably the best chance of the game came in the 61st minute from the Scottish side. A lovely through-ball by Brown dissected the Mariners central pairing of Rostyn Griffiths and Patrick Zwaanswijk leaving them flat footed, however Hooper couldn’t apply the finish as Mariners goalkeeper Nikodin Matic made an impressive save.

The last fifteen minutes of the match turned into an end-to-end affair with both sides looking to grab the deciding goal. However despite the increased urgency both teams still lacked the killer instinct and the game looked destined to end in a stalemate.

However new Central Coast signing Hearfield brought ANZ stadium to their feet in the 87th minute after a superb strike from just outside of the box. Following a hash clearance by the Celtic defence, substitute Hearfield gathered the ball and composed himself to fire his shot into the top right hand corner of the goal.

In final moments of the match Celtic had a glorious opportunity to equalise when they had a chance cleared off the line in a goalmouth scramble, however the Mariners were to hold on for a famous victory.