The result may have only been a draw against the side in ninth on the ladder, but in my opinion, this means so much more for our travelling Glory.
The match against the Mariners on Sunday afternoon represented everything the Glory has had to endure so far in their Isuzu Ute A-League Men’s campaign.
Missing a few players, a couple having to play just days after coming out of quarantine, running out games on tired legs and this time, grinding out a result.
I got a major sense of déjà vu when Jason Cummings opened the scoring in the 58th minute and when we reached added time in the 2nd half, I had consigned myself to another 1-0 defeat.
Then a long ball from Daryll Lachman found its way to Bruno Fornaroli in the box. It then came to the feet of debutant Adam Zimarino, who did an amazing job in an incredibly crowded penalty area to find a teammate, Daniel Stynes, who put the ball into the bottom right corner and secured a point from our trip to the Central Coast.
I honestly believe this game could be a major turning point in our season. This would have instilled a lot of confidence into the whole squad, to grab some away points after conceding in the 2nd half.
With a run of fixtures to come in Tasmania and home games seemingly on the horizon, Glory fans have reasons to be excited about what’s to come, despite our current ladder position.
The performance in the first half was one of the best that I’ve seen this season. We were able to match the Mariners on their home turf and create multiple chances before fatigue set in for the 2nd half and we lost a bit of control in the game.
Playing with a back four, it was good to see a bit of positive play from both fullbacks. Kosuke Ota was able to find space and deliver some crosses into the box, looking more threatening going forward this game than in any other this season.
Antonee Burke-Gilroy also continued his fine form, linking up well with Pacifique Niyongabire, who started for just the second time this season.
The other game he started was the opener against Adelaide, and in that game their combination play was good. I hope we can see more of it because it was good to watch on the weekend.
I know I’ve given him a lot of praise in my previous pieces, but this was Aaron Calver’s best game in a Glory shirt. Superb in 1v1 situations, more often than not in the right place at the right time and came close to scoring an absolute worldie against Mark Birighitti, who made a spectacular save.
Further up the pitch, I was glad Giordano Colli got to start another game in the midfield and have more of an influence on the proceedings. He was handy on the ball and worked hard off it, forming a decent midfield three with Brandon O’Neill and Mitch Oxborrow.
Up front, I liked what I saw from new signing Nick Fitzgerald. He offered something different in attack and was more involved in the play than Andy Keogh and Adrian Sardinero have been.
If we continue to play the 4-3-3, he is an ideal fit for the left-wing spot. Keogh has had to play in that position with Bruno Fornaroli leading the line, but I saw enough on Sunday to convince me Fitzgerald will be more effective on that side of the pitch.
On the whole, our defensive intensity throughout the game was good and has improved as the season’s gone on. Our timing of the press is getting better and on more occasions we’re able to win the ball back and play on the break.
Conversely, we did allow the Mariners to counter too easily themselves. They had a few good chances in the first half to make a breakthrough, but thankfully we were able to cover or Cameron Cook was able to make a save.
Attacking wise, our final ball still isn’t quite there yet. There were multiple situations where we had an opening but the last pass didn’t hit the mark. I remain confident we will find goalscoring form sooner rather than later.
Central Coast dropped two points for the second game in a row and will be kicking themselves. Lewis Miller did a great job dealing with Fitzgerald and Ota on the right side of defence, and the strike partnership of Marcos Urena and Jason Cummings is potent.
Our temporary home of Tasmania will get its first taste of action on Sunday when we take on the Roar at UTAS Stadium. Our last match against Brisbane didn’t turn out for the best, but this time I think there will be a bit of a different story for the Glory.
About the Author
