Western Sydney Wanderers will look to continue their impressive winning run as they meet the Central Coast Mariners in Gosford.
Tony Popovic’s side have won four straight and find themselves third in the table and playing some of the best football in the club’s history. A 2-1 win over Wellington showed the best of the side’s well-known resilience, securing the win in the 85th minute through captain Mark Bridge, but it was also the perfect showcase of the club’s new possession-based style, holding 58% of the ball and producing eight shots on target to the Phoenix’s two.
The Mariners have also adopted a new attacking style this season but have struggled to produce the same results as the Wanderers. Tony Walmsley’s side have produced the most shots in the league, but have failed to secure a win since round one against the Glory. It looked as though the team was turning the corner after successive draws against Newcastle and Wellington, but last week’s 2-1 loss to Melbourne Victory highlighted the side’s defensive weakness.
Regardless of form, this should be an entertaining fixture; the Mariners have the most shots in the league, but are closely followed by the Wanderers.
Key Battle – Nick Montgomery vs Andreu
Nick Montgomery has been his side’s standout performer this season, producing dynamic displays as both a box-to-box midfielder and a central defender. The 34-year-old has stepped up in his new role as captain following John Hutchinson’s retirement and will no doubt need to be on his game if the Mariners are to gain anything from Sunday’s match.
Where the drive and commitment of Montgomery has built his reputation, Western Sydney’s newest midfield leader has earned his status with a combination of intelligent movement and technique. The Spaniard has acclimatised well to the A-League after three years in Spain, scoring twice in the opening six rounds and passing with an impressive 82% accuracy. Much like Isaias for Adelaide United, Andreu is the foundation upon which the Wanderers will build their attack – if Nick Montgomery and his teammates can shut down the 32-year-old an upset may be on the cards.
Team News
Jake McGing returns to the squad after his red card against the Newcastle Jets, giving Tony Walmsley essentially a full complement of first-team players to pick from. The 22-year-old was a near-automatic selection before his suspension, but a strong performance from Harry Ascroft against the Victory could have pushed his case for a retained spot in the starting eleven.
This week could see Walmsley attempt take two of the traditional 4-4-2 formation; the setup was used at the start of the F3 Derby a fortnight ago but was abandoned after Jake McGing’s early red card. In front of the home fans and desperate for a win, Heffernan and O’Donovan could once again be used as duo in order to make an early breakthrough.
Central Coast Mariners expected starting XI (4-4-2): Izzo; Roux, Poscoliero, Ascroft, Rose; Fitzgerald, Montgomery, Caceres, Austin; Heffernan, O’Donovan.
Tony Popovic has little reason to tinker with a winning formula at this stage and will no doubt retain the same starting eleven that did the job against Wellington. The depth that has been built in the Wanderers ranks will also allow the visitors to bring the likes of Brendon Santalab and Romeo Castelen off the bench if they are forced to chase the game.
Western Sydney Wanderers expected starting XI (4-2-3-1): Redmayne; Neville, Aguilar, Topor-Stanley, Jamiseon; Delgado, Andreu; Vidosic, Nichols, Bridge; Piovoccari.
Head-to-head
Central Coast Mariners 4, Western Sydney Wanderers 3, drawn 4.
Previous Meeting
Central Coast Mariners 1 Western Sydney Wanderers 0, Central Coast Stadium, 11 April 2015.
Prediction
There will no doubt be goals in this fixture, but it may not be a balanced scoreboard. The Mariners are still very much a work in progress and should not pose a consistent threat to the new-look Wanderers.
Central Coast Mariners 1 Western Sydney Wanderers 3
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