Mariners to play in Canberra

Central Coast Mariners will play two pre-season friendly games in Canberra in late June. One against Belconnen United and the ACT Rockets at Deakin Stadium.

Mariners set sail for Canberra in late June

After enjoying the sights and sounds of the nation’s capital for the first time last year, the Central Coast Mariners are set to return to Canberra for a pair of trial matches in late June as part of ongoing preparations for the clubs fourth Hyundai A-League campaign.

The reigning Hyundai A-League Premiers have been invited to the Australian Capital Territory by Capital Football, one of seven grassroots associations served by a partnership with the Mariners.

While in Canberra, the Mariners will playoff against powerhouse local club Belconnen United on Wednesday, 25 June and against the ACT Rockets – a representative squad made up of the best players plying their trade in the local ACT Premier League, on Friday, 27 June.

The Mariners will play the ACT Rockets at the newly refurbished Deakin Football Centre and will take on Belconnen United at the Belconnen Soccer Centre, which first hosted Lawrie McKinna’s charges almost one year prior to the upcoming fixture.

With the Mariners also confirmed for a sojourn to central Queensland some two weeks before the aforementioned matches in the ACT, the yellow and navy’s pre-season campaign is shaping up to be their most thorough yet.

"Since formalising an arrangement with Capital Football in November of last year, we have enjoyed an outstanding relationship with our partners in Canberra and our visit in late June will allow us to further develop our ties with Capital Football, footballers in Canberra and the ACT community at large," said Mariners Executive Chairman Lyall Gorman.

"We are extremely thankful to everyone at Capital Football and Belconnen United for making these fixtures a reality and I am certain that our playing squad will benefit from another trip away together ahead of the Hyundai A-League kick off.

"Furthermore, these matches provide the best players from the ACT Premier League with an ideal chance to test themselves against the Premiers of Australia, an opportunity that I’m sure will be relished by all wearing the shirts of Belconnen United or the ACT Rockets."

Canberra has traditionally been a happy hunting ground for the Mariners, who recorded back-to-back victories while in the nation’s capital prior to the Hyundai A-League 2007/08 season.

Nik Mrdja’s brace in addition to goals from Adam Kwasnik and Damien Brown saw the Mariners home 4-0 against Belconnen United in late June, before the team returned one month later to thrash Sydney FC 3-0 in the final Group B match of the 2007 Pre-Season Cup.

The yellow and navy’s current line up consists of several players with experience in Canberra, with Damien Brown, Andrew Clark and Nik Mrdja each having played for former National Soccer League club the Canberra Cosmos at various stages before linking with the Mariners.

The Mariners kick off their pre-season program against the Central Coast Lightning at Pluim Park tomorrow, Tuesday, 20 May. Kick off is at 7.30pm.

Event Details

Belconnen United vs. Central Coast Mariners
Belconnen Soccer Centre, Hawker
Wednesday, 25 June, Kick off 7pm

ACT Rockets vs. Central Coast Mariners
Deakin Football Centre, Deakin
Friday, 27 June, Kick off 7pm