Central Coast Mariners Fall to Shanghai Port

The Central Coast Mariners narrowly lost 3-2 to Chinese Super League powerhouse Shanghai Port in a gripping AFC Champions League Elite encounter in China on Tuesday night. Despite a spirited display from Mark Jackson’s side, who fought back from an early deficit, the Mariners were unable to find a late equaliser in a match that hung in the balance until the final whistle.

Both teams entered the match searching for their first win in the competition, but Shanghai Port got off to a dream start with a goal from Li Ang within the first two minutes. The Chinese champions doubled their lead before halftime through Wu Lei, though a stunning long-range effort from Mikael Doka on the hour mark reignited the Mariners’ hopes.

However, Shanghai struck on the counter to make it 3-1, with Oscar setting up Matias Vargas for a classy finish. Substitute Nico Duarte’s late goal in stoppage time gave the Mariners a glimmer of hope, but they couldn’t convert two late corners to snatch a point.

First Half: Early Setback and Mariners’ Response

The Mariners, who had named an unchanged starting eleven from their A-League opener against Melbourne Victory, found themselves trailing early when Li Ang headed in from an Oscar corner, assisted by Wu Lei’s flick-on. Despite the early setback, the Australian side responded with a series of chances.

Alfie McCalmont tested Shanghai goalkeeper Junling Yan in the 13th minute with a low shot from a tight angle. At the other end, young keeper Dylan Peraic-Cullen produced a brilliant save to deny Wu Lei on the half-hour mark. The Mariners then had a strong opportunity as Alou Kuol’s run almost ended in a goal, but the finish was lacking.

Just before halftime, Shanghai doubled their lead with Wu Lei finding the back of the net again. His clinical strike marked his 32nd goal of the season, leaving the Mariners down 2-0 at the break.

Second Half: Mariners Fight Back, but Shanghai Hold On

The second half saw the Mariners on the front foot, with Storm Roux coming close to scoring twice early on. Their persistence paid off when Doka unleashed a thunderous 25-yard strike to reduce the deficit in the 60th minute.

With the momentum on their side, the Mariners continued to push forward, but a Shanghai counterattack saw Vargas curl a superb shot from the edge of the box to restore the two-goal cushion. Even then, the Mariners refused to give up, and Duarte’s well-taken goal in the 93rd minute brought the score to 3-2.

In the dying moments, the Mariners threw everything forward, even sending Peraic-Cullen up for two consecutive corners, but they couldn’t find the equaliser their performance perhaps merited.

Looking Ahead: Mariners Return to A-League Action

Despite the loss, there were plenty of positives for the Mariners to take from the match. They’ll look to bounce back quickly as they return to A-League action with an away fixture against Adelaide United at Coopers Stadium on Saturday night. After that, the squad will gear up for a massive double-header at Central Coast Stadium on November 2nd, where they’ll face reigning A-League champions Sydney FC, followed by an Isuzu UTE A-League clash with Perth Glory.

Tags: Central Coast Mariners, Shanghai Port, AFC Champions League, A-League, Football, Australian Soccer, Chinese Super League

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