No-one wants back-to-back wooden spoons. That’s what’s driving the Central Coast Mariners for the rest of the Hyundai A-League season, starting with Brisbane Roar this weekend.
The men from Gosford finished 13 points adrift at the bottom in 2015/16, but this season they’re just one point behind ninth-placed Adelaide United with three regular season games to go.
Stats comparison: MLS versus Hyundai A-League
And they’re desperate not to finish last again.
“It’s our main focus now,” Mariners defender Storm Roux told reporters on Wednesday.
LAST SEASON WAS A ‘SHAMBLES’
“This season we’re showing signs of improvement and Paulo [Paul Okon] has come in here and done a good job.
“We’re going to be giving it all we’ve got in the last three games to get the points.
“We’re desperate not to get that wooden spoon and the way we’ve been playing this season, we don’t deserve it,” he said.
ON LAST WEEKEND’S LOSS TO ADELAIDE UNITED
“It was heartbreaking to lose that game, especially because we felt we should have won,” said Roux.
“That first half we dominated and then we just got rattled with three quick goals.
“There’s nothing you can do about it; we look forward to the rest of our games and putting on a show for our fans.”
ON CONTAINING RED-HOT ROAR STRIKER JAMIE MACLAREN
“The hard thing about him is that he’s always in the right place at the right time.
“It just means the back four have to be focused and know where he is.
“That’s what good strikers do – they score goals – so we’re going to have to find a way to stop that.
“We played well against them [last time] but just couldn’t get the job done.
“We’re going to tweak some things here and there and hopefully come up with a formula to get the result,” Roux said.
