Saturday’s first A-League Round 25 match is between Central Coast Mariners and Western Sydney Wanderers. The opening kick-off is set to commence at 5.30pm with the game to be played at Central Coast Stadium. The away team Western Sydney Wanderers are the favourites for the match. View our live scores and teams for the game between Central Coast Mariners and Western Sydney Wanderers.
Round: Round 25, Saturday March 29 at 5.30pm AEDT.
Stadium: Central Coast Stadium
Head to head: Played: 6, Wins: Mariners 2, Wanderers 2, Draws: 2
Previous encounter: Wanderers 2-0 Mariners, December 23 2013
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Odds Comparison:
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| Central Coast Mariners | 2.90 | 2.60 | 2.90 | 2.60 | 2.90 | 2.88 |
| Draw | 3.30 | 3.35 | 3.20 | 3.35 | 3.30 | 3.25 |
| Western Sydney Wanderers | 2.37 | 2.60 | 2.35 | 2.60 | 2.37 | 2.38 |
All odds are subject to change. Odds listed are correct at the time of the latest update.
Preview:
The Mariners take on the Wanderers on Saturday afternoon, 5.30PM at Central Coast Stadium. This replay of last year’s Grand Final looks like a great game, with both teams back in form and keen to impress with only three weeks left of the regular season. The Mariners really need some points here, as they don’t want to get stuck at the wrong end of the top six at this time of the season. The Mariners are only two points ahead of fifth-placed Adelaide United and four points ahead of both the Newcastle Jets and Sydney FC, so last year’s champions need to stay on their toes.
This will not be an easy win for the Mariners, however, with Western Sydney managing three wins and a draw in their past four games. Currently sitting in second position behind Brisbane, the Wanderers will want to cement second place with both the Victory and the Mariners on their tail. Tomi Juric could play a big role for Western Sydney this weekend, with the Wanderers really needing to score more goals against a top-four side to prove they can make an impact in the finals.
Teams:
Central Coast Mariners Squad:
1.Justin PASFIELD (Gk), 3.Joshua ROSE, 4.Marcel SEIP, 5.Zachary ANDERSON, 7.John HUTCHINSON (C), 8.Nick MONTGOMERY, 9.Mitchell DUKE, 11.Nick FITZGERALD, 12.Liam REDDY (Gk), 15.Storm ROUX, 17.Anthony CACERES, 19.Mitchell DUKE, 20.Bernie IBINI, 21.Mile STERJOVSKI, 25.Eddy BOSNAR, 26.KIM Seung-yong, 27.Isaka CERNAK, 28.Glen TRIFIRO
**Two to be omitted**
Ins: 27.Isaka CERNAK (promoted), 28.Glen TRIFIRO (promoted)
Outs: Nil
Unavailable: 10.Marcos FLORES (knee – season), 13.Hayden MORTON (thigh – 1 week), 14.Michael MCGLINCHEY (on loan – Vegalta Sendai), 18.Michael NEILL (knee – season), 23 Adam KWASNIK (knee – season)
Western Sydney Wanderers squad:
1.Ante COVIC (gk), 2.Shannon COLE, 4.Nikolai TOPOR-STANLEY, 5.Michael BEAUCHAMP (c), 6.Jerome POLENZ, 7.Labinot HALITI 8.Mateo POLJAK, 9.Tomi JURIC, 10.Aaron MOOY, 11.Brendon SANTALAB, 13.Matthew SPIRANOVIC, 14.Kwabena APPIAH, 17.Youssouf HERSI, 18.Iacopo LA ROCCA, 19.Mark BRIDGE, 20.Jerrad TYSON (gk), 21.Shinji ONO, 22. Dean HEFFERNAN
**Two to be omitted**
Ins: 5.Michael BEAUCHAMP (promoted)
Outs: Nil
Unavailable: 3.Adam D’APUZZO (groin – 2 weeks), 12.Tahj MINNIECON (hip – indefinite), 34.Golgol MEBRAHTU (knee – indefinite)
News:
Golden-boot leader Adam Taggart has declared Newcastle now have the “perfect combination” in attack which makes the Jets genuine contenders for the Hyundai A-League crown.
Outsiders for a top six spot just a month ago, the Jets are now in the top six after three wins from four games in March.
They travel to Perth this weekend to face the struggling Glory before home matches against Melbourne Victory and Adelaide.
While Taggart, who has 13 goals to his name this campaign after a breathtaking season in front of goal, has been a big reason for their resurgence he believes it’s the side’s other front-men who deserve much of the credit.
The 20-year-old striker is starting to form a lethal combination with the likes of Emile Heskey, Joel Griffiths and David Carney and believes the Jets now have the right balance to thrive.
“One of the most positive things is how quick we’ve all come together,” Taggart told www.footballaustralia.com.au.
“You’ve got Joel (Griffiths) in there, Dave Carney as well with his wand of a left foot, me and Emile (Heskey) are starting to click a lot more so it’s all been really positive for such a fresh and new outlook in our forward line.
“Every single one of them are goal-scorers, there’s people that can create things, there’s fighters, there’s workers …for me right now it’s the perfect combination for what we need to get into that finals.
“That fighting spirit with people who want to score goals and work hard…I think defences are really going to start looking at us with a bit of fear.
While the Jets still have work to do to secure their spot in the finals, Taggart believes if they get there they can cause some real damage to the more fancied sides.
“The main thing we’ve shown this year and one of our strongest points is when we play against the big clubs,” he said.
“We’ve beaten Brisbane (three times), beat Western Sydney, Melbourne Victory, all sides regularly in that top three area and we seem to be that team they find extremely hard to beat.
“We know if we make the top six we’ve actually got a good chance of making it a lot further than what people would think.
“Those top sides find it extremely hard to beat us and come the finals I don’t see why it would be any different.”
Born and raised in Perth and a product of the state’s impressive youth development system, Taggart said he is excited to get back home to face the Glory in front of all his family and friends.
But the Jets will have to overcome a horror record to take all three points, without a win in their last 11 visits to nib Stadium.