Player Ratings: Green Gully 2 Central Coast Mariners 1 – Boland brilliance

Blake Powell put the Mariners ahead on 15 minutes. Green Gully’s exit looked imminent, but Daniel Jones’ 86th minute equaliser set the stage for Liam Boland’s stunning 92nd minute effort to settle the match.

The reserve goalkeeper was lacking match fitness coming into it. He made critical saves in the dying moments. Great mental strength.

Kliment Taseski – 6.5:

Was caught out at times but remained focused through fatigue as the Mariners attacked with pace late on. Fighter.

Rodrigo Vargas – 8:

A strong performance by the 37 year old alongside Jones was substituted late on as Green Gully chased the game. Experience personified.

Matthew Reid – 7.5:

Showed composure in his defending especially after receiving a yellow and then replacing Vargas at CB. Aerial threat from corners.

Anthony Ragusa – 7:

Was substituted in the 65 minute which was a shame as his vibrant play lit up the first half for Green Gully. Bright.

Luke Walker – 8:

Defensive midfielder was extremely composed and technically strong whilst tough in a tackle. Superb before being subbed in the 78^th minute.

Evan Christodoulou – 6.5:

Also played a defensive role in midfield. Battled throughout providing a number of crosses. Pressured opponents.

Daniel Jones (C) – 9:

Lead the team with real aplomb scoring the equaliser to drag Green Gully back into the match. Leader of Men.

George Lambadaridis – 7.5:

Delivered set pieces whilst retaining possession well. Became more involved as the match went on.

Liam Boland – 9:

Was an aerial threat all night, and whileunlucky not to be credited with the opening goal, his winning effort was utterly breathtaking. Treat yourself below.

Jay Davies – 8:

The former Peterborough United attacker worked hard, dropping back into midfield to drive the team late in the match. Classy.

Substitutes

Aaron Ward – 7:

Did not miss a pass and provided precise crosses in his 25 minute cameo. Ideal substitute.

Nick Krousoratis – 5:

Was not expected to appear after struggling with injuries recently. Was fired up to make an impact and pressured opponents as Gully mounted a late charge. Limited touches of the ball.

Tomas Murphy – 5.5:

Box-to-box midfielder who replaced Vargas as the team pushed for an equaliser. Provided energy as the team required balance.

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Central Coast Mariners

Ivan Necevski – 6.5:

Made some excellent reaction saves but his lack of mobility and poor kicking was present throughout. Caught out.

Harry Ascroft – 5.5:

Got forward well on a number of occasions providing an attacking option for the Mariners throughout. This was exploited by Green Gully late in the match.

Nick Montgomery (C) – 4.5:

Playing in defence, the captain did look out of place especially with his judgment for headers. Short.

Jake McGing – 5:

Playing on a tall striker he has had his work cut out for him with his partner in defense providing little help. Passing needs work.

Michael Neill – 5:

Poor distribution on the ball. Provided very little of substance to the game as Central Coast recycled possession.

Adam Berry – 5.5:

Playing as the defensive midfield he was quick to intercept the play. Did not look to move the ball forward though. Negative.

Liam Rose – 6:

Was able to recycle possession with ease in the midfield. This was often sideways or backwards having little impact on the build up play.

Josh Bingham – 4:

Missed a great chance to score. Passing was really poor which lead to him being subbed after 62 minutes. Dragged.

Fabio Ferreira – 7:

Dangerous. His lightening pace and trickery across the park had Green Gully under constant pressure.

Blake Powell – 7.5:

Opened the scoring. Floated in between the ‘lines’ providing some encouraging link up play and received a lot of attention from his opponents. Exciting.

Roy O’Donovan – 4:

Poor positioning resulted in a goal disallowed for offside. Minimal impact on the match and his turnover resulted in Boland’s winning effort. Disappointing.

This is what football is all about. Up the @GreenGullySC Cavaliers! #GRGvCCM #FFACup pic.twitter.com/1r8tsnDDaO

— Chris Hearn (@_ChrisHearn) August 2, 2016

Substitutes

Connor Pain – 2:

Came on for Bingham in the 62^nd minute. Aside one late effort, he made a minimal impact on the game. Tentative.

Mickael Tavares – 3:

Brought no intensity onto the field. Was given a yellow card for shirt grabbing. Only sparked into life when Mariners fell behind.

Kwabena Appiah-Kubi – 5:

Was involved after coming on for Powell in the 83^rd minute utilizing his blistering pace to create chances on goal for the Mariners.