Soccer: Cards add to Knights misery

Tempers flared late in the game. Phil Walter / Getty Images

Mariners 1 Knights 0

The New Zealand Knights finished with nine players as they lost to the Central Coast Mariners at North Harbour Stadium last night.

Che Bunce was sent off in the 85th minute of the A-League clash for a rash tackle and the resulting penalty by Adam Kwasnik sealed the game.

As tempers became frayed local referee Peter O'Leary also dismissed Greg Duruz for deliberately elbowing an opponent. Coach Paul Nevin had to be restrained on the sideline.

The Australian side were hardly worthy winners. They showed almost no initiative and they barely offered a shot in 90 minutes. The Knights created more chances but it is now 363 minutes since they last scored.

The first half was dreadful, with two toothless teams waiting for the other to make a fatal mistake.

The Knights, if anything, were more purposeful than the Mariners but chances for either side to ease their scoring drought were rare.

Jamie McMaster, who later earned a yellow card for a challenge on Malik Buari, was foiled by Knights' goalkeeper Michael Turnbull in the eighth minute and five minutes later Buari bounced a header in front of goal which was scrambled away by the Mariners' keeper Danny Vukovich.

By the 38th minute Buari, who was struggling, was replaced by Jonti Richter, adding more pace.

Noah Hickey and Dani Rodrigues were chasing everything and their speed began to wrong-foot the Mariners' defence. Just before the break Matthew Osman pulled Hickey down and Neil Emblen was just wide with the resulting free-kick.

The Mariners repaid the compliment early in the second spell when Stewart Petrie's drive skimmed over the crossbar.

Then came disaster when Darren Bazeley scuffed an attempted clearance into the path of Damian Mori and Bunce was adjudged to have brought the striker down. Bunce was subsequently red-carded by O'Leary. Kwasnik converted the penalty to break the deadlock.

The game became increasingly ill-tempered and Duruz was sent off for a deliberate elbow.

Next weekend the Knights travel to Perth to play the Glory in the first of three away games in a row.