Australia - A League (13-14 Oct)

[ObiWan]

OMG tonight sydney want to lose to CCM?
Sad...Once Again Sydney bring us down

[Beejayville]

GOAL!!! Mariners

Mariners 2 - 1 Sydney

Terrible defensive blunder when Sydney defender slips over and leaves easy put away for Damian Mori.

Totally against the run of play as Sydney were dominating

[Beejayville]

Originally Posted by ObiWan

OMG tonight sydney want to lose to CCM?
Sad...Once Again Sydney bring us down

After Melbourne they are clearly the second best side and I am not sure what they are doing.

The Mariners were a fairly good side last year and there was nothing to suggest they would play this well tonight.

[Beejayville]

Carbone off for Sydney with hamstring injury and that will either be a blessing in disguise as they were double teaming him and new player might provide some relief, or it means Sydney may struggle to score.

[ObiWan]

At the moment did sydney increase of playing better?????

[Beejayville]

65m CC Mariners 2 - 1 Sydney FC

I hate to say it but I cannot see Sydney scoring one goal let alone two to win this game

But you never know do you?

[ObiWan]

My view is sydney will try to make a draw at least for tonight.

[Beejayville]

75m and still Mariners lead 2-1 but Sydney doing all the attacking down the flanks but they are crossing the ball like Stevie Wonder on acid and it's very disappointing to say the least.

They are making good space down the flanks and basically just putting it out of play and no pressure on the defence.

Sydney belted the 3rd best side Adelaide 4-1 two weeks ago and last two games have been schaissenhausen

[ObiWan]

Sydney Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Scoreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...... ..Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[ObiWan]

CCM 3-1 Sydney.....i think i next time wont bet aydney accept he is home...Sydney this 2 week playing reall dirty soccer

[Beejayville]

GOAL!!! Mariners

Mariners counter attack from a Sydney corner and Damian Mori does it again

Can't believe Mariners have scored 3 goals against Sydney

Sydney have only had about 5 shots and have been insipid

[Beejayville]

Originally Posted by ObiWan

CCM 3-1 Sydney.....i think i next time wont bet aydney accept he is home...Sydney this 2 week playing reall dirty soccer

Can't explain it Obi as Sydney has a great away record, and mariners is just down the road anyway, so not really an away game.

The Mariners were a top side last season and maybe they are finding some form. They do get to play 7 of their last 8 games and home too.

Didn't see this coming tho cos Sydney have only lost to Melbourne so far this season, and that was an honourable loss at that.

Not sure what happened, but it has hurt my wallet I can tell you

[ObiWan]

i am big hurt..i bet extra big to cover my lastweek losing...

[Beejayville]

Originally Posted by ObiWan

i am big hurt..i bet extra big to cover my lastweek losing...

Sydney will bounce back when we are probably not on them.

The A League can throw games like these up because on any given day the sides are very even, but Sydney were at almost full strength with only Carney missing.

Very disappointing effort, Sydney were poor and it will be a while before I back them again

[ObiWan]

oic...ok.

[ads25]

Was at the movies tonight so didnt see any soccer or get any bets on which turned out lucky cause i was planning to back Sydney. From all accounts it seemes Sydney got outplayed most of the night. Having watched them last week against Queensland they looked very ordinary, so it seems not much has improved in a week. Having Carbone out doesnt help their cause either

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Mori buries Sydney

Friday, 13 October, 2006 - 10:31PM



Two goals from Australian football legend Damian Mori has helped the Central Coast Mariners exorcise some demons from last season's Grand Final with an exciting 3-1 defeat of Sydney FC at Central Coast Stadium on Friday night.

The Mariners went behind in the 12th minute to a cracking Benito Carbone free kick but from that point on, it was all Central Coast as the home team dismantled the defending Hyundai A-League Champions' defence almost at will.

Defender Paul O'Grady levelled the scores from a corner in the 39th minute before Mori slammed two goals home in the second half to give the Mariners their second win of the season.

The signs are worrying for Sydney FC coach Terry Butcher, who spent most of the game in near hysterics on the sideline, but the truth of the matter was the defending champions looked toothless in attack while the Mariners undoubtedly played their best game of the season and looked more like the team that made it to last year's season decider.

Played in perfect summery conditions the match got off to a fairly innocuous start before a sloppy handball from Mariners defender Alex Wilkinson gifted Sydney a free-kick 25 yards out from goal.

Carbone stepped up and delivered a precision shot that evaded the outstretched arms of Mariners keeper Danny Vukovic and curled into the top right-hand corner of the net.

The goal seemed to stun the Mariners into action as they started to find their range with their passing game and found plenty of space down the flanks, giving Sydney defenders Iain Fyfe and Matthew Bingley a torrid time.

In the 38th minute Mariners striker John Hutchinson broke free and attempted to side-foot a pass to an unmarked Mori in the penalty area, but the ball got caught up in Sydney defender Matthew Bingley's feet and just slipped past keeper Clint Bolton and the right post.

But from the ensuing corner, 196cm-defender O'Grady leapt above the pack to flick the ball into the top right corner of the net and level the scores.

The last five minutes of the first half was all Mariners as they attacked with venom but couldn't convert a couple of great chances.

A Jamie McMaster cross saw Bingley almost head the ball into his own net, but it ricocheted off the crossbar and amazingly Hutchinson's follow-up smacked off the right post.

McMaster then just failed to get on the end of a cross with the goal wide open and the score remained 1-1 at half-time.

Just seven minutes into the second half, Mori showed his renowned goal scoring ability when Fyfe slipped over just outside the box, gifting Mariners striker Stewart Petrie the ball. He steered a lovely cross to an unmarked Mori, who made no mistake, drilling a clinical strike past Bolton to send the huge home crowd into a state of delirium.

Sydney's goal-scorer, Carbone was forced off with what looked like a lower back injury in the 53rd minute, replaced by Ruben Zadkovich while Mariners veteran defender Tony Vidmar was subbed in the 67th minute after feeling a twinge in his hamstring.

And it was Zadkovich who was Sydney's greatest threat in the second half as he tried to spark a tired-looking outfit, but nothing amounted to any firm goal-scoring opportunities.

But at the other end, Mori headed home another cross from Petrie to put the game beyond doubt and add to his incredible tally of goals.

Central Coast Mariners 2 (O'Grady 39, Mori 52, 89)
Sydney FC 1 (Carbone 12)

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Newcastle vs New Zealand
Interesting match this one, both sides are ranked very low at the bottom but at times they have played some pretty decent football. They have contrasting problems - Newcaslte are capable of attacking but are very poor in defence, whereas New Zealand can defend extremely well but cant score for shit. Midweek Newcastle scked their manager Nick Theodorakopoulos after their winless run continued to 7 games and will have an interim coach in Gary van Egmond. For Newcastle they have players Vaughan Coveny, Joel Griffiths & Jade North who are all extremely good players and would get a role in the first 11 of any team in this league. These big inclusions sway me to picking Newcastle here, but New Zealand also have a healthy side and they are capable of a win here too with their defence. However the thing from worrying me about Newcastle is that morale will be at an all time low with the sacking of their manager, which is why im going for this game to end in a draw. Value here in the Over 2.5 goals at $1.80. But be cautious here as its a tough one to call and i wouldnt be supprised if either team won this.

Pick game to end in DRAW at $3.45 - (4/10)
Pick total goals OVER 2.5 at $1.80 - (4/10)
or the ads25 longshot of:
Pick Correct Score of 2-2 at $15 - (2/10)

Good luck everyone betting here!!

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Squads

Newcastle Jets 20.Ben KENNEDY (gk), 2.Steve EAGLETON, 3.Jade NORTH, 5.Milton RODRIQUEZ, 6.Andrew DURANTE, 8.Matt THOMPSON, 9.Vaughan COVENY, 10.Nick CARLE, 12.Paul OKON, 15.Stuart MUSIALIK, 16.Labinot HALITI, 18.Joel GRIFFITHS, 19.Mark BRIDGE, 24.Paul KOHLER (one to be included)

New Zealand Knights 1.Danny MILOSEVIC (gk), 2.Darren BAZELEY, 4. Che BUNCE, 6.Neil EMBLEN, 7.Richard JOHNSON, 8.Scot GEMMILL, 10.Sean DEVINE, 11.Jonti RICHTER, 15.Noah HICKEY, 16.Adam CASEY, 18.Michael WHITE, 19.Sime KOVACEVIC, 20.Michael TURNBULL (gk) (two to be included)

[cluelessG]

Looking at the stats, the Knights do have a decent defence and they have conceeded more than one goal only against leaders Melbourne and Queensland. On the other hand the Jets have scored only two goals in 3 home matches (but they have scored much more in away matches, so they do have good options in attack). Knights - Jets finished 0:0 in August. The Knights miss a couple of defenders but at least Che Bunce is back from suspension. I'm thinking about backing the Under 2.5 here.