CENTRAL Coast Mariners shook of a tumultuous week to defeat the Newcastle Jets in Saturday's A-League trial at Scully Park.
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The club parted ways with coach Terry Walmsley at the start of the week but emerged with a 2-1 win in the F3 derby and some promising signs moving forward.
“I think from where the Mariners have been previously through pre-season and the end of last season where we were struggling I think this is a good turning point for them,” Mariners coach on duty John Hutchinson said.
“I asked them to snap something. So either snap the goals against or snap the losing run we were on so to get a win. I know it's pre-season, it's not sheep stations yet but to get a win, I'm really proud of the boys and happy for them because we've got a lot of young boys in there that are struggling with their confidence and to get a win was really great.”
The Jets had the chance to steal a draw in the dying seconds but Andy Brennan's header just went wide.
That was the story of the game for them with several shots just going over, or hitting the cross-bar.
They were twice denied by the woodwork before Devante Clut slid in to convert a great cross from the right from Jason Hoffman to put them 1-nil up with just under 10 to play in the first half.
The Mariners were swift to reply, Blake Powell finding the back of the net a couple of minutes later to lock the scores up at 1-all at half-time. Connor Pain then put the Mariners ahead five minutes into the second half with a well hit strike from outside the box.
Jets coach Scott Miller was, despite the loss, satisfied with what his side put out after a hard week on the training paddock, and said it had been a successful week.
“It's been a very productive week regarding the values we're setting and the identity of the team,” he said.
Earlier in the curtain raiser, North Armidale scored a last minute penalty to draw 1-all with Oxley Vale in their Northern Inland Premier League clash. In Sunday's games DK edged out North Companions 1-nil, Tamworth FC beat Namoi 2-1, East Armidale accounted for Joeys 3-nil and South Armidale put nine past Moree.