Key three return for Mariners’ Melbourne trip

The Central Coast Mariners have welcomed back Stewart Petrie, Andrew Clark and Matthew Osman to their squad to face the Melbourne Victory at Olympic Park tomorrow.

Osman was omitted from the Mariners team that drew 0-0 with Adelaide United at Wade Park, Orange, last Saturday, while Petrie and Clark, although included in the Mariners’ Orange travelling party, did not take part in the match with lingering knee and ankle concerns respectively.

The return of the key trio is a welcome boost to the Mariners and Football Manager Lawrie McKinna, who, for the first time this season, has been forced to omit a fit member of the Mariners’ playing squad, with short-term striker James Holland the unlucky player to be left out on this occasion.

"I think we’ve started to turn the corner with our injuries and with Petrie, Clark and Osman returning this week, we’re starting to get our full strength line up together," said McKinna.

"Considering we still have a lot of players who will be pushing for a starting eleven place still to return, the competition for squad places is starting to heat up and Saturday is another chance for our players to put their hands up."

The Mariners’ away record against the Victory is their best against any club in the A-League.

In two visits to the Victory’s Olympic Park home, the Mariners have recorded two wins – 3-1 in the 2005 Pre-Season Cup semi final and 2-0 in the 2005/06 A-League season.

In four matches between the Mariners and the Victory, the team that has scored first has gone on to lose the match on three occasions.

The Victory have conceded defeat after leading 1-0 in the 2005 Pre-Season Cup semi final and in the Mariners’ penultimate regular season match, while the Mariners lost 2-1 to Melbourne after scoring first in their first A-League encounter at Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium last season.

"The Victory are always a tough test and, although their results have not been altogether impressive in the Pre-Season Cup thus far, we know they have what it takes to really make their mark on the A-League," said McKinna.

"Hopefully this moment doesn’t arrive on Saturday, but I’m confident that if we continue to play how we have been, we’ll be up to the task at hand."

The Mariners currently top their Pre-Season Cup Group A with four points, three ahead of their counterparts on Saturday.

Melbourne Victory vs Central Coast Mariners
Olympic Park, Melbourne
Saturday Evening, July 29 – Kick-Off 3:00pm

Team Line-up: 3 Paul O’Grady, 4 Noel Spencer, 5 Bradley Porter, 6 Andre Gumprecht, 8 Jamie McMaster, 11 Damien Brown, 12 Stewart Petrie, 14 Vuko Tomasevic, 15 Andrew Clark, 17 Matthew Osman, 18 Alex Wilkinson, 19 Adam Kwasnik, 20 Danny Vukovic (gk), 22 Oliver Bozanic, 30 Matthew Trott (gk).

Mariners fans not traveling to Melbourne for the match can keep updated with proceedings by tuning into ccmariners.com.au, where a live match update will commence from kick off.

The Mariners’ next scheduled home match is their opening 2006/07 Hyundai A-League fixture at Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium against the Queensland Roar on Saturday, 9 September. Kick off is at 7:00pm.