Melbourne Victory host the Central Coast Mariners in what is their final home and away game before the all-important finals campaign.
The equation is simple for the Victory. The Premiers Plate is almost certainly theirs already but will want to consolidate their position with a win or draw. Sydney FC sits in second place (47 points) three points behind the Victory (50), but the Victory’s superior goal difference on the Sky Blues (+7) makes it almost impossible for Sydney to clinch top spot.
It will be the club’s first piece of silverware in over five years, which is surprising given the size of the club, its resources and the kind of personnel it had during that time. Nevertheless, it will be the first step in Kevin Muscat’s task to take out the Premiership, followed by the finals series.
The Mariners have a bit to play for themselves despite being ruled out of finals contention. With new boss Tony Walmsley confirmed, players are fighting for pride and contracts for next season as they seek to impress the new manager. They will be intent on ruining the Victory’s Premiers Plate party and finishing a disappointing season on a high.
Key Battle – Josh Rose vs Kosta Barbarouses
This will be an intriguing battle, for very different reasons. Josh Rose has had a very disappointing season by his high standards, although he is not alone among his teammates, and Kosta Barbarouses is facing stiff competition to hold his place on the right-hand side with Archie Thompson in good form. Rose has been better in the past few weeks and should he want to remain at the club next season, he must finish the season off on a high. Meanwhile for Barbarouses, Archie is waiting in the wings should he not make the most of his chance.
Team News
The big news out of the Victory camp this week is that Nathan Coe has been ruled out of the finals series with a back injury, meaning Lawrence Thomas will have to deputise for the remaining games Victory play. Muscat may look to rest some of his stars on the back of a gruelling trip to Brisbane and with a tough finals campaign to come, the last thing he needs are players fatigued or injured. The likes of Daniel Georgevksi, Carl Valeri and Fahid Ben Khalfallah played both games in Brisbane so their minutes could be reduced. Kudos must go to Muscat, who has managed to rotate and keep his squad fresh throughout the season, one of the signs of his development as a manager.
Melbourne Victory Expected XI (4-2-3-1): Thomas (GK); Geria, Delpierre, Ansell, Galloway; Broxham, Milligan; Finkler, Barbarouses, Khalfallah; Berisha.
The Mariners have their own goal goalkeeping woes with Liam Reddy suspended for the final match of the season, meaning deputy Matthew Nash should come in. Club legends Matt Simon and John Hutchinson should start in their final matches for the club, while Walmsley may look to experiment with a few players in different systems.
Central Coast Mariners Expected XI (4-2-3-1): Nash (GK); Rose, Anderson, Bosnar, Roux; Montgomery, Hutchinson; Fitzgerald, Caceres, Cernak; Simon.
Head-to-Head
These two sides last played just under a month ago at the same venue, which saw the Victory scrape past the Mariners thanks to a brilliant double from Gui Finkler. The Victory were poor that night but have since turned the corner on the back of a solid double in Brisbane.
In 30 matches between the two sides, the Victory have won 13 and the Mariners nine.
Prediction
You get the feeling the Victory players will have other things on their mind when they take to the field on Sunday afternoon, which may have an impact on their performance. They have enough class and polish to get past the Mariners, but don’t be surprised to see a cautious Victory who may just stay in first gear all match. Nevertheless it promises to be a rich experience for the Victory fans who will get to witness their team holding up silverware for the first time in over five years.
Melbourne Victory 2 Central Coast Mariners 1
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