The 2007–08 season was the 3rd season of competitive football played by Central Coast Mariners. The Mariners ended the season as A-League Premiers after topping the table in the regular season, but runners-up in the Championship after losing to local rivals Newcastle Jets in the 2008 A-League Grand Final.
In the transfer window the club signed experienced striker Sasho Petrovski and former Adelaide United midfielder Greg Owens. Left back Dean Heffernan also returned to the club after completing a loan spell with 1. FC Nürnberg. Club captain Noel Spencer was released, joining Sydney FC.
After a mixed pre-season, finishing fourth in the 2007 A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup, the Mariners began the 2007–08 A-League in good form, undefeated for their first five games. Winless runs in October and January saw a number of clubs threaten Central Coast at the top of the table. This included a 5–4 loss to Sydney FC in December, breaking the record for goals in an A-League match. The mid-season addition of Socceroo John Aloisi proved successful, with the striker scoring a team-high seven league goals. A win over Wellington Phoenix in the final game of the regular season secured a first Premiership for the club, ahead of Newcastle Jets on goal difference. In the Finals Series, the Mariners advanced to the Grand Final by defeating the Jets 3–2 over two legs. The Jets, however, claimed the Championship with a 1–0 win in controversial circumstances at the Sydney Football Stadium.
Background
The Mariners ended the previous season in sixth, missing out on the Finals Series.
Transfers In No.PositionPlayerTransferred fromFeeDateRef22FWSasho PetrovskiSydney FCFree12 February 200723MFMile JedinakSydney UnitedFree26 February 200712MFGreg OwensAdelaide UnitedFree12 March 20078DFDean Heffernan1. FC NürnbergLoan return6 June 200730GKAndrew RedmayneAustralian Institute of SportFree19 June 20074MFIan McAndrewCentral Coast LightningFree1 August 200724FWDamian MoriAdelaide CityFree21 September 200725FWJohn AloisiFree agentN/A19 October 200726DFAlvin CeccoliFree agentN/A3 January 2008
Out No.PositionPlayerTransferred toFeeDateRef14DFVuko TomasevicFree agentN/A25 January 20072DFWayne O'SullivanFree agentN/A25 January 20074MFNoel SpencerSydney FCFree16 February 20078MFJamie McMasterFree agentN/A18 April 200712FWStewart PetrieFree agentN/A18 April 20071GKJohn CrawleyRetiredN/A19 June 200724FWDamian MoriFree agentN/A13 October 2007
Pre-season
A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup
Group stage
+Group B TeamPldWDLGFGABPPtsCentral Coast Mariners321061310Queensland Roar31203216Wellington Phoenix31024425Sydney FC30120601
Playoffs
2007–08 Hyundai A-League fixtures
2007–08 Finals series
Home-and-Away Season
Player statistics Key
No. = Squad number
Pos = Playing position
Nat. = Nationality
Apps = Appearances
GK = Goalkeeper
DF = Defender
MF = Midfielder
FW = Forward
= Yellow cards
= Red cards
Numbers in parentheses denote appearances as substitute. Players with number struck through and marked left the club during the playing season.
No.Pos.Nat.NameA-LeagueA-League finalsPre-Season CupTotalDisciplineAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals1 GK Matthew Trott4 (1)000206 (1)0002FWMatt Simon4 (14)00 (2)0115 (16)1003DFPaul O'Grady2 (4)0000 (1)02 (5)0204MFIan McAndrew0 (1)000000 (1)0005MFBrad Porter5 (3)0000 (4)05 (7)0016MFAndré Gumprecht8 (6)00 (3)05113 (9)1307MFJohn Hutchinson1833040253708DFDean Heffernan15 (1)1002 (1)017 (2)1709FWNik Mrdja32003 (2)16 (2)31010MFTom Pondeljak13 (5)22 (1)02 (2)017 (8)20011DFDamien Brown7 (1)0003010 (1)02012MFGreg Owens10 (2)21 (1)00 (1)011 (4)22013DFTony Vidmar150301 (2)019 (2)06215DFAndrew Clark12 (5)00 (2)01013 (7)05016DFNigel Boogaard13 (1)0304 (1)120 (2)15017MFMatthew Osman6 (1)0005111 (1)10018DFAlex Wilkinson12030512011019FWAdam Kwasnik12 (7)5315220 (7)82020GKDanny Vukovic17030302301222FWSasho Petrovski18 (1)6324125 (1)911123MFMile Jedinak19230502728124FWDamian Mori 300000300025DFJohn Aloisi12730001574026DFAlvin Ceccoli303000600030GKAndrew Redmayne0000000000
References
External links