Words: Riley Jackson
Image: Getty Images

Central Coast Mariners continued their undefeated pre-season campaign winning 3-1 against PlayStation 4 NPL Queensland side Olympic FC in the Westfield FFA Cup Round of 16  at QSAC on Tuesday.

Lightning threatened in the lead up to the game but it didn’t take long for the Hyundai A-League side to strike for themselves.

Nick Fitzgerald started proceedings inside two minutes left unmarked at the back post he hit the back of the net with a diving header from a teasing Matthew Sim cross.

Mariners had a second attempt cleared off the line moments later before Mark Fisk called Mariners goalkeeper Liam Reddy into action with a half volley on the five minute mark.

Olympic Goalkeeper Shannon Lancini was called into action again on ten minutes when he was forced into a double save when Duke drove low and Sim threatened by cleaning up the scraps.

Olympic started to work into the half as Kazuya Ito roused the local crowd 20 minutes into the encounter when his long range dipping effort was held by Reddy.

Mariners’ Joshua Rose broke down the side line moments later, after winning the ball in midfield and teeing up Fitzgerald for his second, who only managed to hit the base of the post.

Olympic’s injury woes were compounded when Matt Byrne and Darren Gray had to be replaced during the first half, both with suspected hamstring injuries.

Mariners doubled their lead in the 38^th minute when Duke won a bouncing header outside the Olympic 18 yard box, finding Sim’s path who hit it on the half volley curling the ball low spectacularly into the far netting.

Mariners started the second half much the same as the first with Sim having two early chances denied by Olympic’s defence and Josh Rose spraying one wide.

Olympic battled their way back into the match in the 57^th minute when Jake Maclean won a battle for the ball on the edge of the Mariners box, before playing a sharp one-two with Tim Smits, where he coolly finished with a classy chipped finish.

The goal was McLean's third in this season's Westfield FFA Cup after netting a double last round against Melbourne Knights.

Smits struck a well worked play wide moments later as the home side’s confidence grew and the 1300 strong crowd found their voices.

As the game opened up, both sides created chances until an unfortunate slip from the Olympic Custodian gifted Glen Trifiro the Mariner’s third four minutes from time.

The win sees Central Coast continue into the Quarter Finals, while the result spells the end of Olympic’s season following last week’s 3-2 defeat in the PlayStation 4 NPL Queensland Grand Final to Palm Beach Sharks.

Olympic FC 1 (Jake MCLEAN 57')
Central Coast Mariners (Nick FITZGERALD 2', Matthew SIM 37', Glen TRIFIRO 86')