Will Central Coast Mariners win the double?

The Central Coast Mariners could have secured the Premier's Plate with their one nil win over Adelaide United tonight but were halted by a determined Brisbane Roar who won their simultaneous fixture in Newcastle.

After a lethargic Central Coast performance and with an overwhelming playing schedule ahead, do the Mariners have what it takes to win both the Premiership and Championship?

One of the most consistent performers for the Mariners, Joshua Rose believes their physical condition and professionalism will help them.

“As professional players we all have the discipline and training to back up and play three games in a week,” said Rose.

Coach Graham Arnold is another firm believer in not just the physical fitness of his side but also their mental demeanor.

“We have an honesty policy in place, when the boys know they aren’t 100 percent they tell me and always put the team in front of themselves. This has been key to our success,” said Arnold.

Despite the Mariners' self belief they have only won two from their past eight matches which conflicts with their consistent run of form throughout the majority of the season.

So what has changed of late?

No doubt the loss of players has hindered the title charge for the current league leaders and it would be naive to overlook the slump in form coinciding with the loss of the soul of their attack; Matt Simon.

“It is obvious that we have missed Matty driving us forward and doing his part on the end of our attack but in the past few weeks Bernie [Ibini] has really been stepping up and providing what we need,” said Arnold.

Against Adelaide the Mariners struggled and the 'razzle dazzle' football that their fans were so used to seeing at the start of the season has been replaced with long balls drifting into the bleachers and wild shots making their way onto the Central Coast highway.

Although there is plenty of talk surrounding the rough playing schedule the Mariners are battling their way through, they must find ways to score.

In the past, the Mariners have always relied on their strength to get on top of their opponents with the football taking care of itself. At the moment the strength is still there but no one is taking care of the football.

Until tonight the Mariners have had no trouble creating chances but the problem has been finding someone to finish those chances. Graham Arnold has always said “the time to start worrying is when we aren’t creating any chances” - that time is now.

Next week in the last round of the Hyundai A-League regular season the Mariners cross the Tasman to face Wellington Phoenix for their final chance to bring home the Premiership. A win secures them the silverware whilst either a draw or loss leaves the Premiership to be decided by Brisbane Roar, who need three points from their trip down to Robina to face cellar-dwellers Gold Coast United.