Jackson’s huge praise for young Mariners keeper who took ‘giant strides’ in difficult Asia debut
Central Coast Mariners continued their solid form in the AFC Cup, making it back-to-back victories in the competition with a 6-3 win over Bali United at home.
Top of Group G heading into the reverse fixtures? Not a bad place to be in if you’re the Central Coast Mariners!
Mark Jackson’s side fought from a goal down to convincingly beat Bali United 6-3 on their home deck, snatching top spot in the group in the process.
A horror own-goal from Mariners keeper Jack Warshawsky saw Central Coast go behind inside the opening twenty minutes, but the reigning Isuzu UTE A-League champions stormed back to come away with a convincing victory against their Indonesian opponents.
Jacob Farrell responded from getting sent off in their 3-0 loss to Adelaide United last Friday with two sensational goals, Marco Tulio chipped in with two of his own from the spot, while Christian Theoharous scored his first in Mariners colours and Kadek Arel Priyatna also added an own-goal.
Cameroonian winger Privat Mbarga added one of his own shortly after half-time for the visitors, while speedster Jefferson Assis fired home a consolation.
Mbarga, however, was busy all night and it was his cross which was mishandled by Warshawsky – who deputised in place of Danny Vukovic – en route to Bali taking an unlikely lead.
The Mariners re
sponded shortly after through Farrell, who fired home an unstoppable long range bomb to bring the scores level, before two penalties in three minutes saw the Mariners take the lead through a Tulio brace.
Tulio now has five goals in the AFC Cup this season, taking himself even with Trent Buhagiar as the highest scoring A-Leagues player in a single AFC competition season, since the 2012/13 season.
