Gosford has proved to be a home-away-from-home for the Western Sydney Wanderers whenever they have traveled to take on Central Coast Mariners in the Hyundai A-League.
Saturday night’s clash between the two clubs presents the Wanderers with the chance to notch a sixth-straight win at Central Coast Stadium.
And on current form, you would think that looks likely.
Markus Babbel looks to finally be getting the balance right with his side, who have recorded some impressive results in the latter part of the campaign.
Their spirited display to fight back and claim a 1-1 draw with Sydney FC in Saturday night’s Derby is a case in point.
In contrast, the Mariners officially collected a third wooden spoon in four seasons after succumbing to Melbourne Victory 2-1 on Sunday.
While it has been another season of woe in Gosford, the signs are certainly much brighter since interim boss Alen Stajcic arrived at the club in March.
And they should provide a stern test of the Wanderers’ recent resurgence, despite losing both previous matches between the clubs this season (both 2-0).
If the stats are anything to go by, expect plenty of action after the break in this one.
The Mariners have conceded the most second-half goals (38) of any team in 2018/19, while the Wanderers have conceded the third-most (25).
Key Opta stats
- Western Sydney Wanderers currently enjoy a four-game winning streak against Central Coast Mariners in the Hyundai A-League, with three of those four triumphs coming by a score of 2-0.
- The Mariners have conceded 20 goals across their last five Hyundai A-League games on home turf, finishing with a loss in each of those fixtures.
- Mariners skipper Matt Simon has conceded a joint competition-high 51 fouls in the Hyundai A-League in 2018/19.
