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Options open up for Perth coach McMahon [Thu Aug 25th, 2005]
With Central Coast Mariners in town for the first match of the Hyundai A-League at Members Equity Stadium, Steve McMahon will be able to make a number of changes to his team.
Glory lost 1-0 to the Mariners in the Pre-Season Cup final last Saturday in Gosford, but can welcome a number of key players into the squad for the more important first match in a new era of football this weekend.
Club captain, Jamie Harnwell, has been training all week after suffering with a hamstring problem and since then chicken pox. Club top scorer, Bobby Despotovski, and midfielder, Steve McMahon Jnr, both return from suspension, while Brian Deane will be available for the first time having arrived from England this week.
That leaves just long-term injury victim, David Tarka (hamstring), sidelined although left winger, Naum Sekulovski, is a doubt for the match against Central Coast, having pulled out of training, also with a hamstring complaint.
"Naum tweaked his hamstring in training yesterday and he will be a doubt for the game against Central Coast," coach McMahon said. "But Jamie has returned to training this week and Bobby and Steve will be back too so it gives us a lot more options than we had a week ago."
"Brian Deane has also come in this week and that has given the lads a big lift so we are looking forward to a very exciting evening for the first A-League game here in Perth and it will be great to play in front of our home crowd."
Central Coast Mariners on the other hand will be without former Glory striker, Nick Mrdja, who scored the Perth side’s last goal in national competition – the winning strike in the 2004 NSL Grand Final.
Mrdja left the pitch last Saturday with a knee problem and will therefore be unavailable but former Glory players Andre Gumprecht and Tom Pondeljak could return to action in Perth for Mariners’ coach Lawrie McKinna.
"Losing Nick is a big blow, but it gives other players in the squad an opportunity to show us what they can do," McKinna said.
McKinna has taken teams to Perth on three occasions in his coaching career and has failed to return a win thus far. This is likely to make the Scot and his team more determined to secure a result from the first round match but he admitted that it will be tough task.
"When you take in to account travel time and time difference, there’s few harder away trips in world football," McKinna insisted. "We’re determined to get a result though, because we know how important it is to get off to a good start in this league."
Kick-off at Members Equity Stadium is at 8pm and tickets are available from Ticketmaster on 136 100 or at www.ticketmaster.com.au
Football fans who cannot get to the match can watch the game live on FOX Sports or listen to coverage from 990 Information Radio from 7.30pm until 10.15pm.
Perth Glory squad: Petkovic, Jovanic, Harnwell, Kovacevic, Coyne, Miller, Horsley, Colosimo, Celeski, McMahon Jnr, Ward, Ishida, Sekulovski, Vasilevski, Caceres, Fa'arodo, Young, Despotovski, Deane.
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