WPM R18 vs Central Coast Mariners | Fri 24th Feb | 9:45pm | SS7

Oi Oi Edgecumbe

Clean sheet would be worth gold tonight. Lets do it!

It's been over four years since we've kept a clean sheet against these guys, and over 5 since we kept them scoreless at Gosford.

Would happily take a win of any sort this evening. 😅

Fudge that was beautiful buildup

Ahhh fudgeing hell

jesus! it had to be McGarry!

Always the fudgeing former players

It just had to be him didn't it?

What is it with ex players and scoring against us?

Oli Sail not set. Poor keeping.

Oi Oi Edgecumbe

Clean sheet would be worth gold tonight. Lets do it!

Welp...

Feeble marking but that was a clever little run from McGarry.

James McGarry for Wellington Phoenix against every team ever: 38 apps, ZERO goals
One game against the Nix for Newcastle: GOAL
One game against the Nix for CCM: GOAL

Sad to say that I called it, let their wingbacks push on and they loaded the front line.

That looked awkward to be fair. It kinda looked like McGarry miskicked it.  Looked like Oli went where he was aiming so wasn't where the ball went off the side of the foot.

Scotiadh

Sad to say that I called it, let their wingbacks push on and they loaded the front line.

That's exactly the tactic teams know our defence is poor at dealing with. There it goes again, Sutton skinned down the wing.

If we aren't careful we could cop a bit of a hiding here tonight.

Kaltack is awesome

Storm Roux going tight on Kraev. Combined with the midfield boxing us out, making it awkward. We need a plan B. Which is probably the direct ball aimed away from Kaltack. But Zawada is playing on his side for some reason (surely you'd target the young dude)

Nkololo = wanker.

Allowed to kick the ball away to time waste and throw himself to the ground. Then Bally cops one with no protection. 

Poor attacking on the right. Let’s call Sutton v Nkololo a 50:50, but that’s not easy either. 

This is going in, isn't it...

EDIT: Hah, the tamest free-kick ever.

Man, we built a fantastic attack early doors by passing through them, since then it's been sideways passing and long ball all the way.

Aghhhh! Sutton need to pop that ball through to Ball straight away.

He clearly won the ball, feet don't even clip the player.  It's not even a foul against us yet we get a yellow.

And ref on that challenge v the Farrell one. Inexperienced ref seem arms around the home players earlier. 
Hasn’t taken player, hasn’t come in dangerously like Farrel did. 
We’re guna get a yellow- might as well do the ten Hag method and kick their main threats hard and early. 

it was a yellow

reg22

it was a yellow

 why?

Bananas

reg22

it was a yellow

 why?

two feet studs up

reg22

it was a yellow

 should've been a red. Two footed studs up. Wtf? 

Bananas

He clearly won the ball, feet don't even clip the player.  It's not even a foul against us yet we get a yellow.

Sasse should've gone down when Silvera grabbed him from behind and it would've been a card each. 

reg22

Bananas

reg22

it was a yellow

 why?

two feet studs up

but feet didn't touch the player.

Two footed slides happen all the time, with no contact on the player how is it a yellow this time?

Laws is sort of the opposite of a brick wall.

we are starting to attack more but seen to have given up defending 

Need to keep them from scoring again before HT.

full on final 10 of that half, we could have had a couple and so could they.
Sail making the point to the ref regarding the fouing.
Kraev's yellow was for the two footed slide - reckless/careless, if he'd made contact it woukd have been red.

Bananas

reg22

Bananas

reg22

it was a yellow

 why?

two feet studs up

but feet didn't touch the player.

Two footed slides happen all the time, with no contact on the player how is it a yellow this time?

 It is dangerous play, if he made contact it would have been a red.

Entertaining as hell.

If we could somehow scramble a point from this game I would be well satisfied. 

And it wasn’t leading with studs. 

We’re coming back into it, with the pitch drying out. Sasse has had two significant touches for chances. Vuckovic a good keeper and isn’t guna gift is anything. Surely McGarry and Roux can’t continue to play the game of their lives. Expect more from Ugarkovic. Also Kaltak has done better than most on Zawada with pulling down those balls in behind.

Gotta find our shooting boots, but not out if it yet. 

At the least this ref won’t do us any favors. But we can and hopefully will blow them away in the second half. Shouldn’t need any favors.

Team low on confidence. Just some blunders and poor decision making at the wrong times. Longer balls to nowhere. That build up play where Bally had all the space but they didn't cut in and get the ball to him in time  and the  the whole team played hot potato/fraidy cat with the ball instead. The tepid post free kick play. You hope Uffie can shake them awake at half time but think this has a "just not your night boys" written all over it. CCM's high press is doing us in, and the energy and confidence isn't there to fight back and nullify it.

If he’d be careless it would’ve been- compare to the in control Farrel? Also if- but it wasn’t, so?
It wasn’t careless, it was a great well timed challenge. I was applauding and then the foul was called. 

That Ugarkovic shot was bloody good though.  Curling nicely and forced a decent save.  If the goalie steps wrong that's a screamer.

We’ve got to get Zawanda challenging Farrell more and putting some good crosses in the box for him to challenge.

Both team good chances, it could be easily 3:3.
2nd half will be interesting.