Perth Glory FC winger Chris Harold believes this Saturday’s clash against the Central Coast Mariners will be a good opportunity for the team to create some positive momentum as it heads into three back-to back home games.
nib Stadium has been a favourable venue for Glory so far this year securing two wins and one draw from four matches.
Glory head into the match after a 1-0 loss against Adelaide at Coopers Stadium but Harold is confident Perth’s luck is about to change.
“There’s definitely been an element of luck involved, in the last few games especially, we’ve been so agonisingly close and it’s the old cliché when things aren’t going your way it does seem to compact on top of each other so I think for us, if we can get that first goal and get our confidence up and stay tight at the back I think we can go on and score a number of goals especially at home.”
Harold admitted that sitting tenth on the table wasn’t a comfortable fact amongst the playing group.
“As professional athletes you don’t want to be down the bottom it’s not a nice feeling at all as a collective there’s a desire to turn that around and I think we’ve got no better chance this week with three games at home.”
Glory last met Central Coast at Gosford in RD 1 which ended in a 3-2 win for the Mariners. But Harold believes come this weekend, Glory will have the edge.
“They’re going to be as hungry as we are. They gave us an excellent game in the first game this season and they wanted it and I’m sure it’s going to be no different on the weekend. The big difference is we’re at home and they’re going to have to travel, which no team likes coming to Perth. I know from experience when I played at Gold Coast it’s the worst trip to go on there’s already a mental advantage that we have over them. Soon as they get on the plane there are negative thoughts about the long travel and playing in the hard conditions or whatever”.
Alex Grant and Aryn Williams return to the squad this week but in a blow to the team, Brazilian Sidnei Sciola has been ruled out for at least a week, after straining his quad at training on Thursday
“Sidnei has been the biggest supplier of goals so he’s proved that he can do the job we need him and everyone fit, but we need everyone to perform, we need everyone to turn up and to want to play and want to win I think that’ the biggest thing for us” Harold said.
The match kicks-off on Saturday at 6.40pm at nib Stadium.
Tickets to the Festive Feast of Football can be purchased HERE.
Saturday, 12 December 2015
Perth Glory v Central Coast Mariners
nib Stadium, Perth
Kick-Off: 6:40 PM (Local) (9:40 PM (AEDT))
Referee: Ben Williams
Assistant Referee 1: Josh Mannella
Assistant Referee 2: Owen Goldrick
Fourth Official: David Bruce
TV Broadcast: Live coverage on FOX SPORTS 505 from 9.30pm (AEDT) and Sky Sport 3 (New Zealand)
Radio Broadcast: 720 ABC Perth, 92.5 ABC Central Coast, ABC Local Radio WA, Grandstand Digital, Online & via the ABC Radio Mobile App – A-league Live.
Join the conversation on Twitter using the hash-tag #PERvCCM
Perth Glory FC squad: 1.Ante COVIC (gk), 2.Alex GRANT, 3.Marc WARREN, 5.Antony GOLEC, 7, Gyorgy SANDOR, 10.Nebojsa MARINKOVIC, 11.Richard GARCIA (c), 12.Jerrad TYSON (gk), 13.Diogo FERREIRA, 14.Chris HAROLD, 15.Hagi GLIGOR, 17.Diego CASTRO, 18.Mitch OXBORROW, 19.Josh RISDON, 23.Michael THWAITE, 24.Jamal REINERS, 29.Aryn WILLIAMS
**one to be omitted**
Ins: 2.Alex GRANT (promoted), 28.Joe KNOWLES (promoted), 29.Aryn WILLIAMS (returns from suspension)
Outs: 25.Jacob COLLARD (omitted), 16.Sidnei SCIOLA (quad – 1 week)
Unavailable: 6.Dino DJULBIC (ankle – 3 weeks), 8.Ruben ZADKOVICH (knee – indefinite), 20.Guyon FERNANDEZ (hamstring – 1 week)
Central Coast Mariners squad: 1.Paul IZZO (GK), 2.Storm ROUX, 3.Josh ROSE, 4.Jacob POSCOLIERO, 5.Harry ASCROFT, 6.Mitch AUSTIN, 8.Nick MONTGOMERY (c), 9.Roy O’DONOVAN, 10.Anthony CACERES, 11.Nick FITZGERALD,15.Matthew SIM, 16.Liam ROSE, 19.Josh BINGHAM, 20.Anthony KALIK, 22.Jake McGING, 23.Tomislav USKOK, 24.Jake ADELSON, 40.Tom HEWARD-BELLE
**two to omitted**
Ins: 8.Nick MONTGOMERY (return from suspension), 20.Anthony KALIK (promoted), 24.Jake ADELSON (promoted)
Outs: 21.Michael NEILL (not selected)
Unavailable: 7.Fabio FERREIRA (hamstring – 1 week), 18.Glen TRIFIRO (back – 3 weeks)
