SOCCER
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CENTRAL Coast coach Tony Walmsley has fired the first barb ahead of Sunday’s pre-season blockbuster against east coast derby rivals Newcastle at Wade Park - albeit a relatively friendly one.
The Mariners and Jets go toe-to-toe from 3pm in Orange on Sunday, with Walmsley set to unleash a young A-League squad focused on attacking football fuelled by former English Premier League gun Roy O’Donovan, left back Josh Rose and Portuguese attacking midfielder Fabio Ferreira.
Just don’t expect a similar mantra from the Jets.
“It’s going to be a great game,” Walmsley said at Wade Park on Friday.
“Don’t procrastinate, get down to the game. I know you get games here every now and again, but I think this is the first chance to see the [Mariners] team that’s in its true state.
“It’s a good opportunity ... unless [the fans] want to come and see the Jets ground out a result.
“I wouldn’t encourage them to do that.”
The Mariners have been in Orange since Wednesday and completed an encouraging 7-nil warm-up game win over the Western Mariners at Wade Park on Thursday night.
New signing Dan Heffernan - the same player who scored the fastest FFA goal of all time, a 26-second gem back in August - bagged a first-half hat-trick in the triumph, while Ferreira defied illness to earn precious minutes while also doing enough to score two goals against the hosts.
Working on a “five seconds of fury” philosophy Walmsley hopes will net the Mariners 40 goals throughout the 2015-16 A-League season, the Central Coast club will look to ramp up its pre-season campaign with as close to a polished performance as possible given it’s still only September.
“We won’t be sort of projecting outwardly any defensive-minded goals. If we bang in 40 goals that’ll be a great season,” he said, his side bagging just 26, the second fewest of all 10 A-League clubs, last season.
“It’ll get people talking, and internally we can pat each other on the back and say that’s what we set out to do and that’s how close we got.
“It’s as much the playing style that’s changed as who’s necessarily going to get the goals that’s going to create us more chances.”
Reverting away from the two holders formation adopted so far throughout the pre-season - a period that’s netted the club two wins and one loss, most recently 3-nil against Melbourne Victory - Walmsley’s outfit will go on the attack with one holder and two attacking midfielders tomorrow.
“The whole purpose of our attack is to make forward passes,” he said looking at tomorrow’s game.
“If we get quick people attacking the back of defenders then defensive set up the Jets will have will be really tested.”
Kick-off is at 3pm on Sunday at Wade Park.