That’s all for tonight, folks. A quick recap before I go. The Jets romped home 4-1 against the Mariners on the back of a hat-trick from Roy O’Donovan (playing against his old team). As we’ve just seen, Sydney just edged Victory who, of course, they beat in last season’s grand final. Sydney are now undefeated against Victory in their past six fixtures.
Have a good night. See you next time.
As Big Blues go, this wasn’t up there with anything that might star Jean Reno. Understandably, perhaps, both teams looked rusty and many final touches were heavy - though man-of-the-match Ninkovic was an exception. Though their match-winning goal relied on a little luck, Sydney edged the affair and had they been more clinical they would surely have won with more comfort. Victory could never quite fashion a clear-cut chance, partly because Berisha was kept quiet. Victory missed their big three absentees but Muscat will have seen plenty to keep him encouraged.
It was a tight and tense affair, but @SydneyFC edged the @HarveyNormanAU stat that matters most. #ALeague #BigBlue pic.twitter.com/nwV2DwqOt6
— Hyundai A-League (@ALeague) October 7, 2017
Updated
Full-time: Melbourne Victory 0-1 Sydney FC
It’s all over. Sydney win back to back ‘Big Blues’ in Melbourne for the first time and get their premiership defence off to a good start.
90 min + 5: Victory continuing to press but they don’t need this surely: Donachie picks up the ball 30m out and seeing the defence holding off he puts his head over it and blasts it goalwards. But it’s high and wide. That should be it.
90 mins + 2: Victory pouring forward... and here’s Geria getting to the byline and cutting the ball back to Williams on the penalty spot! He chests it down for a shot but his touch is too heavy and the ball is booted clear before Williams he can strike. He holds his head in his hands in frustration.
90 mins + 1: There will be five minutes of added time. Still time for Victory to get something from this.
90 min: Berisha attempts a spectacular scissor kick inside the box but it hits Buijs and there are claims for a penalty. Was it hand ball? Replays suggest not. It hit Buijs square in the face.
89 min: Carney tries to hold the ball but he’s surrounded by four Victory players, with no teammate in sight. Sydney are understandably not pushing many men forward.
88 min: Sydney slow things down with another sub: Bobo is off, Seb Ryall comes on.
87 min: The crowd tonight is 24,804. Good numbers but they are lost within Etihad.
86 min: Victory’s corner is cleared but it drops to Deng who attempts to hammer an equaliser from 20m out but there’s too much traffic in the way.
85 min: Victory holding possession but it’s deep in their own half. But here’s the young bloke, burning Retre on his outside before his attempted cross is cleared for a corner by Brillante.
83 min: O’Neill’s studs stick in the turf and he goes down very awkwardly. The Victory fans boo him figuring he’s wasting time.
81 min: Into the last nine minutes, Muscat makes a bold change bringing on a 17-year-old, winger Christian Theoharous for Mitch Austin.
80 min: Sydney have had their chances to wrap this one up.
78 min: A bottler of a ball from Ninkovic splits two defenders and finds Carney is acres on the right but his cross into the middle doesn’t have enough pace on it allowing Williams to take it off Bobo’s toes.
77 min: Ingham scoots down the right wing and looks for Berisha in the box but Wilkinson intervenes like a teacher snaffling a message smuggled between two students.
75 min: Another change for Sydney, Adrian off for Carney. He had his moments, Adrian, but he was well handled by Victory.
73 min: Sydney press down Melbourne’s left flank with Simon looking to get on the end of a through ball. But with his lolloping running style he can’t haul it in.
70 min: End to end now. This time it’s Berisha in space after a toed ball ahead almost surprises him. On the edge of the Sydney D, his first touch lets him down and Redmayne cleans up. Had Berisha controlled that he would have had time to measure a shot.
69 min: After withstanding a Victory push, Sydney get numbers forward and Bobo, in space, squares to Matt Simon who should have shot but instead cuts inside on his right. By the time he does that the chance has gone.
65 min: Changes from both coaches. For Victory, George is replaced by Josh Hope. Sydney then make a change of their own with Brosque replaced by Matt Simon.
62 min: Ingham lets a firmly struck through ball to pass between his legs which allows Geria to race ahead and get a cross in. After a rebound it falls to Berisha who spins on a dime but his left-foot shot from close range is blocked.
60 min: It’s all Sydney and they really should be two up... but here’s Ingham attacking the Sydney goal. From a George corner Ingham leans back to get a head on it and he does well to steer it goalwards, but it’s just over the bar!
This is more like it.
57 min: Two great chances for Sydney! First Adrian sends in a wicked ball with the outside of his left boot that Bobo only needs to touch to head home, but the attention of Deng saves the day. Moments later, a canny Ninkovic flicks the ball into the box and into the path of Wilkshire. His first-time left foot shot looks bound for the bottom right corner but for the diving save of Thomas!
GOAL! Melbourne Victory 0-1 Sydney FC (Deng o.g. 53 min)
A breakthrough but, in fitting with the match, one lacking polish. Not that Sydney will give a hoot!
The goal was made by Wilkshire who exchanged a one-two with Bobo before scooting free down the left. Looking up he swung in a perfect cross that found the head of Brosque who was just six-yards out with only Redmayne to beat. But Brosque made a hash of it and could only get a fleeting touch but that sent it onto the boot of an unsuspecting Deng who saw the rebounding ball trickle over the goal line!
Updated
52 min: It’s very tight in midfield, a scrum of sorts, and here’s Donachie grabbing Bobo by the shirt and flinging him to the ground.
50 min: Bobo skips inside his man and, from outside the box, tries to curl one into the top right corner. He can’t keep it down, however.
49 min: Adrian, in the Victory box, tries to square a ball but Williams blocks it, giving away a corner that amounts to very little.
Peeeep!
46 min: The Victory v Sydney FC game has recommenced. An early second half goal would do wonders for this game which has yet to drag fans to the edge of their seat.
Basketball:
In Sydney, meantime, the Kings have been defeated 105-96 by the Adelaide 36ers in their NBL season opener. After a strong first two quarters Sydney faded down the stretch, perhaps a consequence of playing an exhibition game against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City six days ago.
Supercars:
This from AAP:
McLaughlin claims Bathurst record, pole
The “Lap of the Gods” officially has a new owner at Mount Panorama.
Fourteen years after Greg Murphy entered Supercars folklore on the mountain, fellow flying New Zealander Scott McLaughlin has created his own legend by setting an astonishing lap record to claim pole position for Sunday’s Bathurst 1000.
The Supercars series leader clocked a stunning two minutes, 03.83 seconds in Saturday’s top-10 qualifying shootout, eclipsing his own mark set in Friday’s practice by 0.31 of a second.
The Ford gun became the first driver to crack the 2min:04sec barrier on the unforgiving mountain.And the 24-year-old was the first to break the Mount Panorama lap record in a top-10 shootout since Murphy’s famous “Lap of the Gods” in 2003.
As Victory and Sydney let the words of Kevin Muscat and Graham Arnold wash over them like a bucket of Gatorade I shall take the time to update you on some of the day’s other action.
Cricket:
News just in that Aussie skipper Steve Smith has had to leave the tour of India with a shoulder problem. Before you get your knickers in the kind of knot you need the prongs of a fork to untangle, serious injury has apparently been ruled out and he is expected to be fit for the approaching Ashes series.
Closer to home, AAP report that “Queensland cricket captain Usman Khawaja has scored his first half-century since January as he tries to reclaim his Australian Test spot for the Ashes.”
“The left-hander top scored with 85 off 97 balls as the Bulls amassed 6-309 in their one-dayer against Victoria at North Sydney.
“Khawaja was dropped after Australia’s first Test loss in Bangladesh last month, the sixth time that has happened to him in his 24-Test career.
“Saturday’s knock was his highest score at interstate or international level since he made 79no at the start of the year in the third Test win over Pakistan at the SCG.
“He and Test opener Matt Renshaw set up the Queensland innings with a stand of 149 after Victoria won the toss.”
Half-time: Melbourne Victory 0-0 Sydney FC
All square at the break. Both teams have enjoyed good periods but clear chances have been few and far between. It hasn’t been one of the best halves of Big Blue football I’ve seen but here’s hoping it picks up.
45 min + 1: Ninkovic knocks over Broxham inside the right wing giving Victory a chance in the shadows of halftime. Although George’s free kick finds a teammate he can’t direct his header on the Sydney goal. And that will be that.
44 min: Any chance of a goal before the break? This game could do with one.
42 min: Ninkovic rises for a defensive header and Geria comes through his back of him to head the ball forward. Free kick Sydney, says the ref, as Ninkovic lies on the grass rubbing the small of his back.
40 min: Brosque (I think it was) rises to meet a George corner. He does well to get a head on it but he can’t keep his attempt down.
39 min: After a nice build up, Retre should have had a shot from the right edge of the Victory box but he decides to square the ball instead and turns it over. That was Leckie-like in that Socceroos game v Thailand. Shoot farken!
37 min: George takes a corner for Victory after another Austin run was cleared but Sydney make easy work of dealing with it.
Moments later Valeri finds the ball rolling nicely into his path and he figures ‘Why not have a crack from distance?’ So he has a crack from distance and you’d swear the ball was a helium balloon the way it shoots up up up into the air. He smiles wryly, as well he should.
35 min: Ninkovic on the left wing back heels to Wilkshire overlapping. He crosses into the box but Deng heads clear.
33 min: Brosque, 25 metres out, allows a ball to bounce over his shoulder and he attempts a bold first time shot, not unlike Tim Cahill’s debut A-League goal last year. He got hold of it okay but sends it wide of the Victory goal.
30 min: After some nice one-touch football from both teams, Adrian sends a long curling cross into the path of Wilkshire, but he’s met on the byline by Geria and the Victory man causes Wilkshire to send his first time shot from a tight angle out for a goalkick.
28 min: Sydney enjoying a spell of possession in good territory, one that ends when Brosque’s attempt at a shot is cleared and the Victory counter down Geria’s wing.
26 min: From deep Ninkovic threads a pearl of a ball through the heart of Victory’s defence and into the path of Adrian who beats the offside trap. Adrian takes a touch which takes him wider than he would have liked and his shot is blocked on the near post by Thomas. In hindsight he may have decided to hit that before taking a touch.
23 min: Sydney push deep into Melbourne’s half before Victory win the ball back and, despite enormous pressure, play out from the back with a series of one-touch passing. one mistake could have let Sydney in. That made me think of a man walking a tight rope.
21 min: Donachie faffs about and Brosque dispossess him, toeing the ball forward to Bobo who has only the keeper to beat. But before he has a chance to raise a boot in anger the whistle goes for offside. Fair call too.
19 min: Under pressure from Berisha, Redmayne clears to the left wing where Geria beats Wilkshire to the ball. Wilkshire’s follow-through upends Geria and it’s a free kick but no yellow. George, who seems to be the designated dead-ball kicker, curls an in-swinger into the box but he has too much on it and Redmayne makes an easy catch.
17 min: Sydney have shown very little so far. Perhaps they are deliberately easing into this one, trying to draw Victory out with the intention of hitting them on the break.
15 min: The stats say that Victory have had 27% of possession in Sydney’s final third. By comparison, Sydney have spent just 10% of the game in Victory’s final third.
13 min: Berisha slides a lovely pass into the path of a speedy Austin. He runs towards the Sydney box but by the time he raises his left boot for the shot Buijs nips in to knock the ball away. He really should have powered off a shot, Austin.
11 min: Buijs knocks over George from behind but he’s not called for a foul. Muscat stands on the sidelines with his arms raised and his mouth open like the Luna Park clown after he’s had his balls pinched. Juggling balls, that is.
10 min: Bobo shows his skills, juggling the ball over the head of a defender to get himself into space. Retre then shows his skills whipping in a cross from the right and finding the advertising hoardings behind the goal. Not his best work.
8 min: Sydney’s O’Neill passes the ball straight into the path of Mitch Austin who has time but can’t steer the ball into the path of Berisha, who had a clear run to goal. A let off for O’Neill and Sydney.
7 min: Nice close up of Berisha who has that customary intense look in his eyes. It’s a little helter skelter but mostly he looks like someone who’s trying to focus on something far off in the distance.
5 min: Early days, of course, but Victory dominating possession and field position so far. But here’s Sydney journeying into Victory territory... until Buijs overhits a wide pass into touch, Retre unable to haul it in.
4 min: Leroy George takes the corner and Redmayne punches clear, though not convincingly. Victory recycle and George crosses nicely to Rhys Williams who heads wide in traffic.
3 min: Victory skip down the right flank but Ingham finds Wilkinson in his way and the Sydney left back boots it to row Z. Corner.
Peeeeeep!
1 min: Berisha kicks off the 2016-17 grand final rematch with Victory, in navy blue, running right to left on my screen.
Sydney are, of course, in sky blue, their shirts looking resplendent without a big sponsor mucking up the aesthetics. Odd that the reigning double-winners have no major shirt sponsor but geez it’s nice seeing an unsullied kit.
Both teams are out on the pitch, including Victory debutant Leroy George (formerly of PSV). For Sydney, Adrian Mierzejewski (herewith known as Adrian, for obvious reasons) makes his A-League debut. He had a great debut for Sydney against City in the FFA Cup so there are big hopes for the former Al Sharjah winger.
Kick-off imminent...
It’s a lovely evening in Melbourne so you’d expect the crowd to be good for this one, higher than the impressive 12,044 who turned up at Gosford this afternoon to watch the Mariners play the Jets.
nice night for it #MVCvSYD pic.twitter.com/nHT62BVdYE
— gary dickson (@gzy_d) October 7, 2017
Victory v Sydney needs little promotion but the teams’ respective coaches did their bit this week, with Graham Arnold suggested Victory were a bit thick for signing players likely to be called up for international duty (in reference to Mark Milligan, James Troisi and Kosta Barbarouses who are all unavailable for Victory tonight).
In reply, Kevin Muscat suggested Arnold was guilty of “archaic” thinking – the kind that was holding the A-League back.
No matter who’s corner you’re in, I think we can all agree that it’s not ideal when the A-League schedules games during international week. Obviously the Socceroos being forced into a play-off caught them off guard but it does seem rough on Victory tonight that they’ll be missing three key players.
Evening folks, Paul Connolly here, following on from Jonathan Howcroft who, as always, has made a minute-by-minute report look easy.
I’ll be taking you through to stumps, or at least the conclusion of the imminent Melbourne Victory v Sydney FC match from Docklands in Bleak City.
To that end, here are the teams for tonight’s big clash, which will be the fifth time the clubs have faced off in the opening round (four draws so far).
Victory
Here it is, the first team line-up of the season! #MVCvSYD pic.twitter.com/4EEd65rqfp
— Melbourne Victory (@gomvfc) October 7, 2017
Sydney FC
LINEUP | Here's how your Sky Blues shape up for tonight's Round 1 #BigBlue!! Thoughts on the squad? #SydneyIsSkyBlue pic.twitter.com/knHOwXc4xC
— Sydney FC (@SydneyFC) October 7, 2017
Summary
Blimey, what a rollicking match that was. The final scoreline is harsh on the Mariners who played their part in a terrific contest but the Jets were too deadly in the final third and romped home convincingly.
Asdrubal opened the scoring early and the home side looked tidy with their revamped line up but very quickly defensive frailties became exposed. After a debatable O’Donovan penalty got Newcastle back in the game the floodgates opened with the Irishman completing his hat-trick before halftime and the best two goals of the night arriving after the break.
There was a lot to like from Ernie Merrick’s first match in charge. O’Donovan, Petratos and Vargas all looked dangerous while the partnership of Topor-Stanley and Boogaard clicked from the off. For Paul Okon there can be optimism in his his team attacked, especially the form of Daniel De Silva, but they were a shambles at the back and will need to improve rapidly on that showing if they’re to honour the preseason cheer.
That’s all from me for now. I’ll hand you over to Paul Connolly to take care of the evening’s blockbuster.
Central Coast Mariners 1-5 Newcastle Jets
The Jets have lift-off.
GOAL! Mariners 1-5 Jets (Petratos, 90)
The Mariners keep pushing but the Jets have defended their box admirably and somehow keep finding body parts to stick in the way of crosses and through-balls.
A long clearance to O’Donovan sees the Irishman torn between going for goal and wasting time by the corner flag. Eventually he passes inside to Petratos who arrows a bullet across his body and across the diving Glover into the far corner from 12 yards out.
An emphatic full stop to this engrossing fixture.
88 min: Bingham with a good chance but his header from Josh Rose’s cross slides wide.
87 min: De Silva, who has looked sharp all night without a standout moment to cap it all, shoot from range that Duncan does well to claim low to his right.
85 min: The home fans are starting to make their way home, presumably wondering how they have found their team three goals adrift of their local rivals. Plenty of attacking possession just hasn’t been converted into chances whereas the Jets have been incisive going the other way.
Final change of the night has Kantarovski replaced by Cowburn.
GOAL! Mariners 1-4 Jets (Champness, 81)
You guessed it - another corner for CCM. Poor delivery though and Duncan collects easily.
From the eventual clearance O’Donovan flings a wicked crossfield pass that gives the debutant Champness space to run at the Mariners defence. Leading one way then the other he jinks his way into the penalty area and fires unerringly beyond Glover for a miraculous introduction to the A-League. Take a bow.
80 min: Deflected strike from Hiariej gives the Mariners yet another corner but they can’t capitalise and the Jets take their time clearing their lines.
Asdrubal, now subbed, looked tidy on debut. There was lots of nice interplay leading up to the penalty box, but for that final pass he was not on the same wavelength as his teammates. He still poached an early goal though, and there’ll surely be more to come.
Joey Champness comes on for the Jets, replacing Nabbout.
77 min: Petratos - who has been excellent for the Jets - tricks his way past Rose, stands up the cross but the offside O’Donovan heads over when Nabbout was better placed behind him.
Curious double sub from Paul Okon as Liam Rose and Josh Bingham come on for Central Coast in place of Asdrubal and Anthony Golec.
74 min: Asdrubal earns another free-kick - it appears to be one of his core skills, as does going down theatrically - but the shot from the edge of the box clips the wall and away to safety.
73 min: It’s still helter-skelter out there, but at a slightly lower tempo. Both sides are playing with such width and the surface is so poor there is space everywhere and one-on-one contests with players so unsure of their first touch.
Very decent crowd here in Gosford, and they’ve been treated to an enjoyable contest.
CROWD: Bravo, @CCMariners and @NewcastleJetsFC fans 👏🏻 Thanks to the 12 044 fans in attendance tonight! #F3Derby #CCMFC
— #CCMFC (@CCMariners) October 7, 2017
70 min: Chaos in the Mariners defence. Brama’s robbed by Ugarkovic in midfield and his delightful crossfield pass is contested by Glover and Golec before it’s eventually forced clear. Typically, the clearance ends with the Mariners creating a couple of half-chances, such is the openness of the game.
For all their neat interplay the Mariners haven’t really created many clear cut chances.
67 min: Georgievski has been excellent for the Jets, getting forward often and taking the game on. His persistence sets up a good spell of attacking pressure for Newcastle, including a free-kick from just outside the box on the left hand side that Petratos swings in dangerously and it only just evades the far post and the head of Topor-Stanley.
Appiah has been replaced by Buhagiar. Speed for speed down the attacking right.
64 min: This game remains relentlessly open. Both sides continue trading attacking blows, largely down the flanks, with moves only breaking down with toe-poked clearances or smuggled interceptions. Hardly any play has been at walking pace or lateral.
62 min: Vargas’ A-League debut lasts 60-minutes as the Venezuelan makes way for Wayne Brown.
Nabbout is the latest Jet into the referee’s notebook after leading with his arm in a heading contest.
59 min: The Mariners are probing, dominating possession and now starting to force the Jets back into defensive territory. Hiariej has a strike from range that Duncan deals with without fuss but the Jets keep giving the ball away cheaply, inviting more pressure. That is until Petratos shows superb skill and vision to set Newcastle going the other way and earning his defence some respite.
56 min: Connor Pain’s grown into this game after a quiet start but the Jets look well organised defensively. His cross from the left is well claimed from Duncan to deny the onrushing De Silva.
53 min: The Mariners have enjoyed plenty of possession since half time, and again De Silva is at the heart of it. Some lovely interplay with Asdrubal earns a free-kick on the edge of the box that’s played quickly and ends with Pain blasting a cross that evades allcomers. Going forward Central Coast are very pretty to watch.
50 min: The Jets have another goal chalked out with a late flag from the linesman ruling out a tidy Nabbout finish. Newcastle aren’t attacking relentlessly but whenever they go forward they look like scoring.
48 min: Central Coast have the first attack of the half and it ends with their ninth corner (the Jets have yet to be awarded one) but Baro’s header flies over the bar.
The pitch now entirely in shadow at Central Coast Stadium, highlighting the bare patches and sandy areas, that is simply unacceptable at the start of a new season.
The message from the Jets at half-time was not to rest on their laurels, from the Mariners to push even higher up the field. Unlikely to end at this scoreline, you’d think.
46 min: Second half underway in Gosford. No changes at the break.
STATS | @CCMariners had more possession, but @NewcastleJetsFC have been more efficient according to the @HarveyNormanAU stats. #F3Derby pic.twitter.com/e37AZHr7ZX
— Hyundai A-League (@ALeague) October 7, 2017
HarryofOz is right.
Entertaining first half between the Mariners and the Jets, far better than the fare that Citeh and the Roar dished up last night.
Half time - Mariners 1-3 Jets
That was terrific fun. After Asdrubal opened his account early for the Mariners, Roy O’Donovan took over, bagging a hat-trick to send the Jets in front at half-time. The first was a dodgy penalty, the next two both against the run of play, but Newcastle won’t care. Excellent entertainment, and hopefully more to come after the interval.
45+1 min: Into injury time at the end of the first half and Ugarkovic is the second Jets player in the book for over-committing to a challenge on Josh Rose. For some reason Rose is also booked a short while later. No idea why, but nobody minds some spice in a local derby.
43 min: Better from the Mariners who earn their eighth corner of the half. Before it’s taken Georgievski becomes the first player into the book for the afternoon as a few players come together inside the Newcastle box.
3 - O'Donovan is the first @NewcastleJetsFC player to score a hat-trick since Taggart in Nov 2013 against Melbourne Heart. Debut. pic.twitter.com/em57lpNTGL
— OptaJason (@OptaJason) October 7, 2017
41 min: For all the praise I’ve given Central Coast going forward, defensively they have been abysmal. There are gaps all over the place for Newcastle to exploit and individuals are losing on-on-ones in midfield and defence. O’Donovan roasted Golec for the third goal but there are culpable Mariners everywhere for the ease of the Jets’ direct incursions.
GOAL! Mariners 1-3 Jets (O'Donovan, 38)
There is the hat-trick! Brilliant cross from Nabbout down the left, O’Donovan finds space and glances the header beyond Glover into the corner. What a half. First-half hat-trick from the player who’s moved to his former club’s bitter rivals.
35 min: Hat-trick! No! O’Donovan offside - actually it was Nabbout in the build up before the Irishman’s finish. Very similar move to the second goal, deep cross, played back across the face of goal and O’Donovan on the spot to tap in. It won’t count though.
The Jets are growing into this game and they’re doing it by playing with extreme width in possession, stretching the game and exploiting the quality of Petratos and Vargas. Georgievski was also part of the last attack, bursting forward from defence.
32 min: Football’s great sometimes. The Mariners have looked the more impressive of the two sides but the Jets lead. The visitors are starting to enjoy some possession now too, Petratos and Vargas linking up well in attacking transition. The latter cutting in from the left menacingly but his shot is blocked off the boot.
GOAL! Mariners 1-2 Jets (O'Donovan, 28)
O’Donovan at the double! The Jets break, the Mariners don’t defend in numbers and a good crossfield ball to Nabbout at the back post is fed back to O’Donovan and his shot on the turn is a scruffy, bobbling, mongrel of a shot, and a bounces into the empty net.
26 min: Brama is running the midfield, just in front of the Central Coast back four, spreading passes left and right. The Mariners can sense Appiah is hot down the right and they’re looking to feed him whenever they can. His pace earns another corner but the visitors defend it, and a succession of crosses, well.
I undersold Tom Glover during that previous Jets attack. He did splendidly to keep Newcastle at bay.
22 min: HOW DID NEWCASTLE NOT SCORE!? Newcastle have hardly had any meaningful possession - and that includes their dubious goal - but they should be ahead. Superb inswinging free-kick from the left by Petratos is headed from point-blank range against the post and then butchered by Boogaard who fluffs his line five-yards out with the goal gaping.
How good is the crowd at the #F3derby ! Great stuff ! Just like the old days ! Brilliant @ALeague
— Robbie Slater (@RobbieSlater17) October 7, 2017
Updated
19 min: Another Mariners chance, and again created by De Silva. Excellent movement off the ball and shifting passes nimbly from the youngster ends with Asdrubal in space on the edge of the box and his shot is only half-saved by Duncan before eventually being pushed out for a corner following a scramble.
Asdrubal has started well too. Along with his fortunate goal he’s presented exactly as you would expect a number 9 to, and whenever he moves towards the ball the three nippy forwards around him shape to get in behind. Very nice to watch.
Updated
17 min: De Silva has started superbly, which bodes well for the season ahead, and the Socceroos. His involvement in rapid ball movement is eye-catching, as his turn of pace and willingness to run at the Jets defence. He has license to attack knowing the Dutch pair of Brama and Hiareij are minding shop behind him.
15 min: What’s immediately evident is the efforts of both sides in attacking transition to move the ball quickly and commit bodies in support. It means turnovers invite the opposition to attack through a vacant midfield, making for a helter-skelter afternoon.
What a start to the #F3Derby! #ALeague pic.twitter.com/ec8aAoEx3x
— Hyundai A-League (@ALeague) October 7, 2017
12 min: This is ace. The Mariners haven’t dropped their heads, racing straight back at the Jets. The pace of De Silva and Appiah is giving the Jets nightmares and they force more corners, from one of which Baro forces Duncan into a smart save at his near post.
And we thought the Socceroos pen decision would be the worst we'd see all week #F3Derby
— Daniel Garb (@DanielGarb) October 7, 2017
GOAL! Mariners 1-1 Jets (O'Donovan pen, 10)
My madcap 3-3 prediction is well on its way.
The Mariners have deserved their early lead after flying out of the blocks but Newcastle reply almost immediately. O’Donovan’s first involvement in a Jets jersey is to cut in from the left, invite contact from Baro, and hit the deck theatrically. Think Fabio Grosso and Lucas Neil. The ref points to the spot, VAR isn’t interested, and O’Donovan smashes the ball high to the left of Glover to open his account against his former club!
GOAL! Mariners 1-0 Jets (Asdrubal, 6)
More tidy play from the Mariners, who have settled the better of the two sides. Appiah’s pace down the right gets in behind the Jets and his cross is a tester that’s put behind for a corner.
De Silva then makes good ground, bursting down the left, forcing another corner. Lovely delivery from Hiariej, defended abysmally and it hits Asdrubal on his thigh and dribbles over the line for the opening goal.
No idea why, but the pitch looks very ropey. Bobbly, sandy, and not at all what you’d expect from the opening game of the season.
2 min: Ooof! Welcome to the A-League Asdrubal! From the kick-off the Spaniard tries to dribble the length of the field trick but Kantarovski isn’t having any of it, upending him unceremoniously.
From the free-kick Alan Baro wins the header and forces Jack Duncan into a flying save. Offside though, so it wouldn’t have counted. Bright start from the home side though.
Peeeeeeeeppppppp!
Underway in the F3 derby!
Both sides are lining up in very similar 4-2-3-1 formations, by the way. Solid spines, lively front lines, should lead to plenty of open football.
The teams are out. The home side in yellow and blue striped shirts, blue shorts and socks. The visitors are in their away strip of all white with slashes of blue and red.
HERE WE GO! #F3Derby #CCMFC pic.twitter.com/Py1NUzFNMI
— #CCMFC (@CCMariners) October 7, 2017
Decent crowd building in Gosford, which is nice to see. Obviously a local rivalry helps and there’s a fair smattering of Jets blue among the Mariners yellow.
Kick off just a couple of minutes away now. I’m surprisingly excited about this one. Lots of newbies to get to know, two upwardly mobile teams with plenty to prove, and two coaches committed to attacking football.
No idea who’s going to win, and I hate predictions, but if you’re forcing me I’ll go for a madcap 3-3 draw.
Some match facts, courtesy of Opta:
- The Mariners ran out to a 2-0 victory when these teams met last, snapping a seven-game winless streak against the Newcastle Jets.
- This will be the third time in A-League history that a season has opened with an F3 Derby in the opening round, with the Mariners undefeated across those fixtures (W1, D1).
- Indeed, the Mariners are undefeated in their last five season openers (W2, D3), and have only opened two A-League campaigns with a loss in the competition’s history (2006/07, 2011/12).
- Newcastle have failed to find the back of the net in each of their last five games played away from home, conceding a total of 14 goals across that span.
- The Mariners blasted 10 goals in the 15-minute period immediately after half-time last season, the third most of any team in the competition behind Sydney FC (12) and Perth Glory (11).
- Only Sydney FC (2) conceded fewer goals in the final 15 minutes of games last season than Newcastle Jets (6).
- Central Coast Mariners (336) and Newcastle Jets (377) conceded fewer fouls than any other teams in the competition last season.
- Andrew Nabbout lead the Newcastle Jets in goals scored (8), assists (4), and touches in the opposition box (89) last season.
Last night was a bit of a lacklustre opening to the season featuring two sides still trying to figure themselves out.
Melbourne City will be delighted with the three points, after not playing anywhere near their best. Brisbane Roar showed some brightness but, as expected, there was a disjointed look to an XI that has been gutted in the offseason. I didn’t foresee either seriously challenging Victory or Sydney this season, and nothing I saw last night changes that.
Perfect conditions for football in Gosford. There’s a light southerly, it’s cool, around 18C, and Central Coast Stadium is as pretty as ever.
The boys being put through their paces in the warm up, only 15 minutes until kick-off #CCMvNEW #F3Derby pic.twitter.com/FWhWqYRaqn
— NEWCASTLE JETS FC ✈️ (@NewcastleJetsFC) October 7, 2017
Jets XI
Plenty of new Jets on display also with Georgevski, Topor-Stanley, Vargas, Petratos and O’Donovan all stepping out in Newcastle blue for the first time in the A-League today. Expect the latter of that quintet to receive a pretty tasty reception. Although, the hostility of anything shouted down from the stands in Gosford is undercut by the giant sauce bottles, palm trees, and general air of living in the most comfortable of environs, so I wouldn’t expect O’Donovan to bat an eyelid.
Just one hour until kick-off here at Gosford, and here's how your Jets will take the field for this #F3Derby! #CCMvNEW pic.twitter.com/IvNnHINhnP
— NEWCASTLE JETS FC ✈️ (@NewcastleJetsFC) October 7, 2017
Mariners XI
Plenty of new faces in the Mariners line-up with Glover, Golec, Hiariej, Asdrubal, De Silva, Baro and Brama all making their A-League debuts, along with the returning Josh Rose slipping back into place like a pair of favourite old Ugg boots.
LINE UP 🔐 These are the players selected to do battle against @NewcastleJetsFC in @ALeague round one! Kick-off is 5:35pm. #ALeague #F3Derby pic.twitter.com/3EaustiPRA
— #CCMFC (@CCMariners) October 7, 2017
Time to focus on football for the time being though, and the team sheets are through for the day’s first fixture.
It’s shootout time at Bathurst. We’ll bring you updates from the mountain at half-time and full-time of the F3 Derby.
SHOOTOUT | ORDER OF CARS
— Supercars (@supercars) October 7, 2017
1⃣️ TAN
2⃣️ BRI
3⃣️ JCO
4⃣️ SVG
5⃣️ FCO
6⃣️ WIN
7⃣️ WAT
8⃣️ MOS
9⃣️ REY
🔟 MCL#VASC #Bathurst1000 pic.twitter.com/qUFbTkNwVO
Oh, in case you were wondering, Winx made it 21 in a row - without trying.
Oh my goodness
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) October 7, 2017
There's nothing left to say - what a CHAMPION!#Winx blows them away @flemingtonvrc#7racing pic.twitter.com/9HngmGTcI7
A bit of cricket news coming through with Australian skipper Steve Smith returning home early from the T20 series in India with a sore shoulder. It’s not considered serious and should not hamper his Ashes preparations.
On that subject, the ECB has announced Ben Stokes will not travel to Australia with the rest of the England squad following a police investigation into a late night incident in Bristol. Paceman Steve Finn has been added to the touring party.
It promises to be a fascinating season ahead. Plenty of optimism on-field, plenty of distractions off it.
As always, get in touch if you have anything you want to contribute. We can make this an A-League Q&A if you like, look ahead to the new season, laugh at everyone’s predictions, look back at last night’s opening match, shred some nerves considering the Socceroos...
Email me at jonathan.howcroft.freelance@guardian.co.uk or tweet me via @JPHowcroft.
Preamble
Good afternoon and welcome to another Saturday sportwatch.
The A-League is taking centre stage today, beginning with the second match of season 13 - Central Coast Mariners hosting Newcastle Jets from 5.35pm. It promises to be an intriguing F3 derby between these local rivals with both undergoing serious squad rebuilds over the offseason. Both look to have recruited well and both can be expected to perform better than in recent campaigns.
You can read more about what’s gone on at both clubs since last season here:
Later this evening a repeat of last year’s thrilling grand final takes centre stage when Sydney FC journey to Melbourne Victory. Kick off there is around 7.50pm. Both those sides again look to be title challengers and with plenty of needle between the coaches in recent days expect the blue touch paper to be lit on the latest A-League campaign tonight.
You can read my thoughts on the best two clubs in the competition here:
We’ll also keep you up to date with anything else going on in the world of sport with the annual pilgrimage to Bathurst dominating Australian motorsport and some significant races early in the spring carnival.
Jonathan will be here shortly. In the meantime, have a read of Ante Jukic’s considered critique of Ange Postecoglou’s tactics.
Updated
