Rd 25: CCM v WSW - Sterj Appreciation Round

[midfielder]

WTF 13K .... anyone else think the crowd was 14 to 15 K...

 

[Stoxxo]

I did only see the first half on my work lunch break , but the old man and i both commented that the crowd looked decent if not one of the highest for the season. Something a little fishy one suspects....

Either way great result, honestly we all know we have been way below par this season but to be in second place, some credit really needs to be given to Mossy and the boys.

 

[LFCMariners]

Best game of our season so far- they were outclassed in the first half by WSW who had plenty more dangerous shots on goal, I felt as if it was only a matter of time before they backed up their first goal with another one and then took full control of the game.

This was the point where the Mariners could have let WSW get over the top of them (especially in the middle of the field) and then get on with taking all 3 points away from this one- it's happened a couple of times this season in games that should have been solid wins for us (vs Phoenix and Victory come to mind). Instead, I saw an attitude that was reminiscent of the old- Mariners-that determination to continue trying to finish the contest on top- and this time they did just that and received full reward for their patience and persistence. This quality was there under Lawrie McKinna in Season 1 and Season 3, then again during last season en route to the Grand Final.

I also want to give a shout-out to Bernie. The first time I saw him play was in the NYL match against the Glory, over in Perth back in January 2010. I saw this skinny kid, dark as Old Gold chocolate and so quick with the ball. I watched how easily he could move up-field with defenders chasing and I thought "We should hang onto this guy- he's got a big future ahead of him if he puts on some more kilos and keeps this sort of game up." Tonight, after some had questioned his consistency or even his future with the Mariners, he overcame a wasted opportunity that could have burdened him mentally and came back to deliver the knock-out blow in one of our biggest matches of the season so far. I hope this is a notable confidence booster for him and his consistency from here on delivers more results like tonight.

I've been waiting all season to see the Mariners win a game in the manner they did. Very pleased.

 

[Roy Law]

Moss outsmarts Popovic​

Apart from beating Adelaide early season the Mariners had not beaten any of the heavyweights of the A league and after Nikolai Hyphen equalised Josh Rose’s splendid individual goal it seemed highly unlikely that would change. Western Sydney’s high press allowed them to dictate the first half, making a mockery of Phil Moss’s assertion that the Mariners would not need Marcos Flores in midfield.
Apart from the occasional breakaway the Mariners were left to defend desperately against the tide of Wanderers possession; Mooy was dictating terms, coming awfully close with a half volley that hit the post, Reddy doing just enough to get a finger nail touch to deflect. Bosnar was outstanding; like the cultured and casual Trent Sainsbury, he seemed to arrive at the right time, every time, to deal with danger. Not that Conan the Barbarian could ever be called cultured or casual! Even he, though, could not stem the tide as the Wanderers cranked up the pressure with corner after corner with Hyphen finally banging the ball home to equalise Rose’s splendid goal.
Rosey’s goal really was a quality goal: he burst forward, benefiting from a loose Kim touch to pick up the ball, and ran at the WSW defence. Intelligently he held back from passing to the offside Fitzgerald and rounded the cumbersome Beauchamp to place his shot perfectly past Covic.
After their deserved equaliser it was all Wanderers but in a rare late foray the Mariners should have scored from Kim’s curving free kick which only needed a touch but somehow eluded every player.
The Mariners had been outplayed in the first half; you hoped Phil Moss could do something to change the game. He did. He flicked the switch from reverse to go forward. It was probably his strategy all along to fool the Wanderers into complacency. He subtly changed up the formation, Caceres and Kim found the spaces in between the lines, and it was the Mariners calling the shots. Popovic could not believe his eyes as his team suddenly had to play without the ball. He stood, with arms outstretched, bewildered and angry.
Sterjovski produced a moment of class, his vicious cross forcing Covic full length to palm the ball away. Wanderers were lucky no Mariners was close enough to take the chance.
It was to be Sterjovski’s last moment of the game. As he left the field for his final home A League appearance everyone seemed to want to shake his hand: friend and foe alike. He received a standing ovation as Bernie Ibini took his place.
Ibini is an impact player and quickly announced his arrival with a powerful shot from wide out right; it was high, it was wide, but it wasn’t far away. It was the Wanderers’ turn to live off scraps, Reddy going full length to save a free kick that almost snuck through and then watching flat-footed and helpless as another free almost crept in. The Wanderers had nothing else to offer; Bosnar marshalled the defence well and Hutchinson kept the wheels turning in midfield. The Mariners were attacking down both flanks, Roux was particularly lively, and Simon was making his presence felt up front.
Duke came on for Fitzgerald. Kim hopelessly miscued from a Simon lay-off. Duke got it all wrong after nice build up from Simon and Kim; there are times when you wonder if Duke’s brain has any connection to his feet. Bernie again, a shot this time from the left, just wide, into the side netting, after good interplay with Rose.
Monty came on for Caceres. Minutes later a marvellous measured ball from Duke found Simon who should have done better but could not get the decisive touch. As time began to wind down the Mariners kept the belief going. Roux was almost in, winning a corner on the right. Duke had a pop following a goalmouth scramble but it was tame. Then Monty, with a dreadful attempt, leaning back to belt the ball high over the bar, after Simon set him up.
The Wanderers probably thought they had done enough to survive but they, and their horde of noisy fans, were to be destroyed by a marvellous winning goal from Ibini. Kim played a pass that Flores would admire, finding Roux in the penalty area. The young full back kept his head and calmly found Ibini who had smartly created space for himself and he decisively banged home the winner.
This magnificent win was timely; a key opponent has been defeated for the first time this season, and deservedly so. The Mariners have overtaken the Wanderers, and courtesy of Sydney’s draw against Victory, now find themselves in clear water for second spot on the table. This is a tremendous achievement by Phil Moss and his players.
I thought Rose and Roux provided good support throughout; Bosnar led by example, and intelligence, at the back; Caceres was tidy and Kim made a significant difference in the second half; Bernie was the ultimate impact sub and Sterjovski showed some memorable quality touches. My MoM is Storm Roux who was back to his indefatigable early season best.

 

[Roy Law]

WTF 13K .... anyone else think the crowd was 14 to 15 K...

Sure did; it looked much more than 13k on the telly.

 

[Roy Law]

These words from Phil Moss say a lot about what this club is about:
“I think tonight we made a statement that we’re here and that we’re here for keeps and we can achieve whatever it is we want to achieve if we can perform like that on the big stage against a quality side like Western Sydney...No one deserves to be on the bench and no one deserves to be in the grandstand, every single player who is a Mariners player at the moment deserves to be in the starting eleven.”

 

[BrisRecky]

IS THERE ANUYTHING BETTER THAN MULTIPLE CANNON FIRINGS AT THE FORTRESS?...especially when we get the points, and I must say, every single Westie Wobbler I talked to yesterday wasnt bad, lotta freindly banter...better than the first time they were up , when all i heard was "were gonna smash ya bro'"....Sterj shoulda got one, it was that close the bloke was loading said cannon...and WTF was up with Stevra Delovski, the one ref I always considered more than reasonable, last night was off his trolley, I dunno if he was determined to have a flowing game or he was an idiot....and the liney on Club side was looking at Covic when he caught the ball outside the box and did nothing...cretin....

anyway..cudos to Rosey.. outstanding game, double cudos to Stormy, AC and the rest of 'em and triple cudos to Super Sub Bernie Ibini....and whilst continuing the cudo-a-thon...lets hear a round of applause to Pete and his megaphone, the Bay in general and the stadium in particular for giving it some wellie and drowning out the bus-ups....and it twas a pleasure meeting Style last night ...now you know were to sit next season fella, crap seats indeed ")

 

[bradley]

must say, every single Westie Wobbler I talked to yesterday wasnt bad, lotta freindly banter...better than the first time they were , when all i heard was "were gonna smash ya bro'"....Sterj shoulda got one, it was that close the bloke was loading the cannon...and WTF was up with Stevra Delovski, the one ref I always considered more than reasonable, last night was off his trolley, I dunno if he was determined to have a flowing game or he was an idiot....and the liney on Club side was looking at Covic when he caught the ball outside the box and did nothing...cretin....
anyway..cudos to Rosey outstanding game, double cudos to theStorm, AC and the rest of 'em and triple cudos to Super Sub Bernie Ibini....and whilst continuing the cudo-a-thon...lets hear a round of applause to Pete and his megaphone, the Bay in general and the stadium in particular for giving it some wellie and drowning out the bus-ups

While I agree with most of these comments (especially letting Heffernan getting away with 3 body checks on Roux and Sterjovski) I have to disagree with this point. While Covic did step outside the box the ball was still inside the box, Rugby League mentality here, shits me big time!

I personally thought Kim was a dissapointing last night. Thought he disappeared for most of the first half, still not convinced he is our answer to the number 10, probably better on the wing, crossing the ball in to Simon, Duke etc.

Simon also didn't have his best game, (I feel he is half the player he was when he left us for Korea a couple of years ago), although in saying that it was inspirational watching him get back onto the field when he could hardly move, gave us the numbers and confidence to push forward and get the winner.

On the crowd, definitely more than 13k there last night, shits me big time that the person at the gate cant even get the count right, the other week against Newcastle and now tonight, conspiracy perhaps?

Overall one of the best games I have seen at home for a long time, great atmosphere and credit to both teams and fans. Great night to be a Mariners fan!

 

[finally retired]

WTF 13K .... anyone else think the crowd was 14 to 15 K...

it certainly felt a lot more. parking was hard to find and the beer queues were long. and sitting on the Eastern side in bay 50 it felt FULL.....

 

[BrisRecky]

While Covic did step outside the box the ball was still inside the box, Rugby League mentality here, shits me big time!

umm...I dont have a rugby league mentality pal...maybe I got the ruling wrong BUT dont accuse me of being a f**king knuckledragger

 

[bradley]

umm...I dont have a rugby league mentality pal...maybe I got the ruling wrong BUT dont accuse me of being a f**king knuckledragger

apologies, wouldn't dare accuse someone of something so low!

just acknowledging a rule that is commonly misinterpreted among football fans

 

[Jaundice]

Great night! Well done Mariners

2nd place, who would have thought, we're a hard mob to please. Salutations Mr Moss you have steered us through the storm and coming home with a wet sail

Awesome tifos from the yellow army sending off Sterjovski

 

[Jaundice]

Simon also didn't have his best game, (I feel he is half the player he was when he left us for Korea a couple of years ago), although in saying that it was inspirational watching him get back onto the field when he could hardly move, gave us the numbers and confidence to push forward and get the winner.

I disagree, I thought he held the ball up well and offered a lot up front working tirelessly. Completely agree it was inspirational him staying out there with his body shutting down.

 

[MrCelery]

I thought Anderson was a colossus last night. Totally dominant in the air and great distribution. Along with Bosnar there was a strong whiff of Patrick Zwaanswijk-style play. Everyone stepped up a gear and played out of there skins. I'm sure some of it had to do with wanting to send off Sterj in style. Just love Simon's new back-to-goal approach. He's back to being the 'serial pest' we know and love. But now with really effective Viduka-style play.

Mossy is keeping everyone on their toes for a spot in the 1st 11, and it shows. Once again - a great tactical approach. Bernie's goal looked inevitable, as the Wanderer's players looked exhausted in the move that lead to the goal.

Credit to the WSW fans too. No flares - that's got to be a first!

 

[nero]

Love this team. Great result and building momentum at the right part of the season.
Did anyone think Duke had a bad game?
He is probably the only player at the moment that should be on the bench. However, until he gets a run at striker it's not fair to rate his play.
Kim and Stormy were m top picks. Simon gets a mention for his ability to win high balls and also to keep control.

 

[Atomic]

Love this team. Great result and building momentum at the right part of the season.
Did anyone think Duke had a bad game?
He is probably the only player at the moment that should be on the bench. However, until he gets a run at striker it's not fair to rate his play.
Kim and Stormy were m top picks. Simon gets a mention for his ability to win high balls and also to keep control.

Yes, I think Dukey had a pretty poor game by his standards. We were on top from the moment the second half started and once Bernie came on, we were tearing WSW a new one! However, we lost a lot of momentum when Dukey came on (and it pains me to say that). I don't know the reason for it… perhaps more learned observers of this great game called football can proffer a theory.

 

[Yoda]

However, we lost a lot of momentum when Dukey came on (and it pains me to say that). I don't know the reason for it… perhaps more learned observers of this great game called football can proffer a theory.

I think it's fairly simple..... "Getting played out of position". Duke is a centre forward, that's it. He's not a right midfielder, not a winger, he's a centre forward, and while he is continually played out of position he will continue to struggle.

 

[sydmariner]

IS THERE ANUYTHING BETTER THAN MULTIPLE CANNON FIRINGS AT THE FORTRESS?...especially when we get the points, and I must say, every single Westie Wobbler I talked to yesterday wasnt bad, lotta freindly banter...better than the first time they were up , when all i heard was "were gonna smash ya bro'"....Sterj shoulda got one, it was that close the bloke was loading said cannon...and WTF was up with Stevra Delovski, the one ref I always considered more than reasonable, last night was off his trolley, I dunno if he was determined to have a flowing game or he was an idiot....and the liney on Club side was looking at Covic when he caught the ball outside the box and did nothing...cretin....

anyway..cudos to Rosey.. outstanding game, double cudos to Stormy, AC and the rest of 'em and triple cudos to Super Sub Bernie Ibini....and whilst continuing the cudo-a-thon...lets hear a round of applause to Pete and his megaphone, the Bay in general and the stadium in particular for giving it some wellie and drowning out the bus-ups....and it twas a pleasure meeting Style last night ...now you know were to sit next season fella, crap seats indeed ")

thanks 2 those f****n afc nazis no cannonn or fireworks on tuesday (not that it would've gone off anyway)

 

[LFCMariners]

Last season the Roar started slowly, played poorly many times, sacked a coach and still finished just a weekend short of the Grand Final. This season they have been on another level (although the departures of Arnold and Ange no doubt influenced this seeming disparity).

This season we also backed up from being crowned Champions (Yaaaay! At last! FTS! FTS! COYY! YA! WDWSF?WSFY!!!! FTS! COYY! ICHFILWY!!! "I want yer shoes, yer clothes and allllll yeeeeeer goooooooold!!!" ) then somewhere in the hangover from that, realised we were inconsistent and played poorly too many times, notwithstanding the personnel changes and discussion about North Sydney Oval which undoubtedly disrupted form to some extent. However, performances like the F3D the other week (when the Jest were quite good for a large part of the game) and then again last night, have me feeling optimistic, even if we bow out in week 1 of the finals. Keep this squad together, and next year we could be serious contenders for the double and the FFA Cup!

 

[MrCelery]

WTF 13K .... anyone else think the crowd was 14 to 15 K...

A mate of mine thought it was around 12K. I thought it was more like 11.5K. So pleasantly surprised to see it was higher. Still, it was a pretty poor crowd for a top of the table (nearly) clash of two nearby clubs with a strong rivalry on a reasonably good night weather-wise. Hopefully games like this will bring some fans back.