Red hot United too good for Mariners

Central Coast coach Phil Moss has described Adelaide United as real contenders after witnessing the Mariners lose their third consecutive match.

The Reds cruised to a 2-0 win at Coopers Stadium which takes them into third spot on the Hyundai A-League ladder.

Since the two sides last met in Round 10, Adelaide has only lost once, with first-half goals to Marcelo Carrusca and Fabio Ferreira proving the difference in last night’s Valentine’s Day encounter.

“They’re a great side and you’d have to say they’re real contenders now,” Moss said.

“They’ve got experience at the back, they’ve got a fantastic goalkeeper and they’ve got players in the frontline that can hurt you in the blink of an eye.

“If you look at the depth they’ve got coming off the bench as well they’ve got real danger,” he said.

Prior to the Reds’ 4-0 win over the Mariners in December last year, Adelaide had only won one game with Moss claiming the match was a turning point Adelaide’s season. 

“They were going through a rough patch at the time but I guess we gave them the launch-pad that night to go on the run that they’ve had.”

United took the lead just after the half-hour mark of the game with Marcelo Carrusca the beneficiary of some solid play by Osama Malik and Fabio Ferreira down the right flank.

The pair exposed the Mariners' defence allowing Malik to fire in a low cross. The wingback’s ball was blocked but fell to the waiting Carrusca who measured himself and slotted easily from 10 yards.

The Reds nabbed their second goal just before half-time as they worked their way out of trouble, allowing Carrusca to turn from scorer to provider, setting up Ferreira for his second goal in as many weeks.

The Mariners pressed high in United’s half and almost caught them out only for McKain to play a ball down the line to release the fleet-footed man known as ‘Flecha’.

The Portuguese winger played the ball to Djite in the centre of the park who fumbled it into Carrusca’s path. The playmaker ran at the Mariners defence then laid on the ball for Ferreira who slid his shot under a helpless Liam Reddy from a tight angle.

Josep Gombau claimed the match was his side’s most complete performance of the season but tempered expectations with a tough game coming next week.

“Today is maybe the best game that we’ve played,” Gombau said.

“We need to enjoy today, then tomorrow forget it and start to work and prepare for the next game which is very important for us, a derby against the Victory,” he said.

Central Coast could have pulled goals back in the 51st and 57th minutes respectively as chances fell to prodigal sons Bernie Ibini and Matt Simon.

Fortunately for the home side they were thwarted both times with Ibini denied by a diving Galekovic while Simon nodded his header just wide of the post.

Adelaide had a swathe of chances to kill the game off midway through the second half but were lacking a finishing touch, Spaniard Sergio Cirio had the goal at his mercy but blasted over the bar, whilst youngster Awer Mabil managed to put the ball into the net before being called back for offside.

The Mariners will need to regroup quickly as they take on the in-form Phoenix at home, whilst the Reds head to AAMI Park to face rivals Melbourne Victory.



Adelaide United: Galekovic, Boogaard, McKain, Malik, Isaias, Cirio, Carrusca, Djite, Watson, Zullo, Ferreira

Subs: Marrone, Jeronimo, Mabil, Izzo, Elsey


Central Coast Mariners: Rose, Anderson, Montgomery, Fitzgerald, Reddy, Roux, Caceres, Simon, Ibini, Sterjovski, Bosnar

Subs: Pasfield, Seip, Hutchinson, Duke, Seung-Yong