McBreen brace extends Mariners' lead at top

Updated January 07, 2013 07:52:47

Star striker Daniel McBreen helped the Central Coast extend their lead at the top of the A-League table on Sunday, his brace ensuring a 2-0 win over 10-man Western Sydney at Parramatta Stadium.

McBreen emphasised his position at top spot on the goalscorers' list, netting in each half to make it a dozen for the season so far, two ahead of Melbourne Victory's Marco Rojas and Wellington's Jeremy Brockie.

The Wanderers, who played the majority of the second half with 10 men after midfielder Jason Trifiro was sent off for his second yellow card, remain in fourth spot.

Intent on closing the gap, the Wanderers came out firing with Trifiro forcing the first save of the match just six minutes in.

McBreen fired back with a shot moments later with Zachary Anderson, Mile Sterjovski and Pedj Bojic also testing the Wanderers' defence.

Wanderers striker Mark Bridge and young gun Joe Gibbs created a handful of chances in the opening half.

Japanese star Shinji Ono showed his superior passing ability to set up Gibbs with a superb ball into the box with ten minutes to go in the half but Gibbs could not find the pace to get there.

It was McBreen who finally broke the deadlock when he got onto a ball from Adam Kwasnik and got through the Wanderers' backline - missing suspended skipper Michael Beauchamp - to put the visitors 1-0 up in the 41st minute.

The Wanderers had a chance to level early in the second stanza when Jerome Polenz played a ball to Ono who beat gloveman Matt Ryan but saw his effort cleared off the line by Bojic.

Just when it looked like the Wanderers had the momentum Trifiro, who earned his first yellow card in the opening half, was sent off in the 54th minute when a tackle on Kwasnik was adjudged a second bookable offence.

The Mariners looked like widening the gap when Joshua Rose played a ball to Bernie Ibini but the substitute sent it over the crossbar with ten minutes to go.

Sterjovski then forced a save from stopper Ante Covic with a long range effort.

Late substitute Labinot Haliti had a chance to level when he found himself one-on-one with the keeper in the dying minutes but misfired.

McBreen struck again in the 94th minute, curling the ball past Covic from a narrow angle on the right flank, outside the box to send the boisterous crowd of over 16,000 home disappointed.

Central Coast: 2 (McBreen 41', 90+6')

Western Sydney 0

AAP

Tags: sport, soccer, a-league, gosford-2250

First posted January 06, 2013 20:40:02

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Evergreen McBreen in stunning form

Updated December 10, 2012 20:12:05

Daniel McBreen does not just head into an A-League match hoping he will find the back of the net, he believes it.

"Every time I go into a game now I just feel like I'm going to score a goal," the evergreen Central Coast striker said.

The 35-year-old's confidence is unsurprisingly high given he leads the league's goal-scoring charts with nine goals in 10 games.

His form has been vital in the Mariners' ascent to the top of the A-League ladder and McBreen believes he has benefited from being part of Graham Arnold's well-oiled machine.

"It helps with the team being so drilled and we keep our structure well and we all know our job and do it well," McBreen said.

"That helps me get into more scoring opportunities."

His double in Saturday's 2-0 win over Newcastle put him on the cusp of a new contract, with Arnold promising before the season to open talks on a new deal if his goal tally reached double figures.

McBreen hopes to accomplish that against Melbourne Heart in Gosford on Friday and believes he has got plenty to offer for another season and beyond.

"When I was a lot younger I used to always say I'd play 'til I was 35 and I'd be happy then," McBreen said.

"Obviously now I'm 35 I want to play till I'm 45 so I hope it keeps going the way it's going.

"I'm probably in the best shape of my career fitness-wise and getting older you tend to look after your body a little bit more.

"I've still got a few years left in me the way I'm feeling."

While McBreen insists both he and the Mariners are not getting carried away with their form, he admits the thought of going on to claim the league's golden boot award excites him.

However former North Queensland Fury teammate Jeremy Brockie, now with Wellington Phoenix, has other ideas.

"He's a couple behind me and he's been texting me all year saying he's catching me and catching me," McBreen said.

"There's a bit of banter there and as a striker it's something you'd like to achieve but you can't get ahead of yourself."

AAP

Tags: sport, soccer, a-league, gosford-2250, nsw, australia

First posted December 10, 2012 20:12:05

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McBreen goal downs Glory

Updated October 14, 2012 23:42:56

The Central Coast secured some semblance of revenge for last season's heartbreaking preliminary final loss to Perth by beating the Glory 1-0 in a closely contested match in Gosford on Sunday.

Last season's minor premiers, who opened their season with a 0-0 draw against Western Sydney last week, looked like remaining winless and goalless until Daniel McBreen scored his 70th minute goal to snatch victory for the hosts.

The Mariners lost last season's controversial preliminary final in April after Glory striker Shane Smeltz, who on Sunday was on national duty with New Zealand, scored the equaliser from an offside position before Perth went on to book its grand final berth on penalties.

But it was the Mariners, wearing pink kits in support of the cancer charity event Pink Ribbon Day, who went home victors on Sunday in front of 9,192 cheering faithful.

Two yellow cards were shown in the first 25 minutes of what was a heated encounter.

Perth's Michael Thwaite earning the first for a foul on Mile Sterjovski, while Mariners fans thought their team may be awarded a penalty when Sterjovski was brought down on the edge the box by Jacob Burns.

Burns' foul created the first chance of the match midway through the opening half when Patrick Zwaanswijk stepped up to take the free-kick, forcing a diving save from Glory gloveman Daniel Vukovic.

Zwaanswijk however, earned the ire of the referee minutes later for tripping Travis Dodd getting the third yellow of the match.

The Mariners' Trent Sainsbury had the only other chance of the half with a shot from inside the box but fired his header just over the bar.

Both teams came back from the break looking to get on the scoresheet with Central Coast skipper John Hutchinson attempting to open the Mariners account.

Hutchinson however, made a potential game-changing error in the 69th minute when he gave the ball away to Dodd who was charging toward goal only to be denied by Sainsbury.

Sainsbury turned provider a minute later when he played a beautiful pass to McBreen who showed great skill to control the ball with his left foot before slotting it home with his right to give the hosts the 1-0 win.

Pedj Bojic could have put the game beyond doubt in the 78th minute when he had a clear shot at goal but misfired.

Glory sub Nick Ward almost made the Mariners pay for their profligacy when, after linking well with Billy Mehmet, he fired just wide of the near post.

Central Coast: 1 (McBreen 69')

Perth: 0

AAP/ABC

Tags: sport, soccer, a-league, gosford-2250, perth-6000

First posted October 14, 2012 19:07:58

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