Soccer: Teams not notable for goals

Noah Hickey will be expected to fire after his return from injury. Picture / Bradley Ambrose

Only the very bravest or the foolish would be betting on a goalfest in tonight's clash between the NZ Knights and Central Coast Mariners at North Harbour Stadium.

In the 900 minutes of football the two sides have played in five Hyundai A-League games this season, they have managed just one goal each.

Knights coach Paul Nevin acknowledges the game has 0-0 written all over it but quickly added that could well be the recipe for a transformation.

"Who knows, it could be 2-2 at halftime," said Nevin.

Again, there will not be many prepared to gamble on that.

The goal-scoring potential, for the visitors at least, has been boosted with the signing of goal-grabbing Damian Mori on a short-term contract.

Mori, five times the Golden Boot in the old NSL, has joined the Coasters as cover for Nik Mrdja who has been given another month to recover from a knee injury.

On a rich vein of goal-scoring form, having scored 13 goals in 18 league games for Adelaide City in the South Australian Super League, Mori joins former club and Socceroo teammates Tom Pondeljak and Tony Vidmar in a Coast side who threaten, sooner rather than later, to hit their straps.

"Damian has a track record of putting the ball in the back of the net and that's all we need to add to our game at the moment," said Mariners coach Lawrie McKinna. "Against the Jets last week, and in most matches this season, we were solid for much of the game but just lacked that killer punch."

It was in that game the Coasters scored their only goal of the season when John Hutchinson gave them the lead they later squandered in a 1-1 draw. Hutchinson will be missing tonight, out for a week with an ankle injury.

Nevin, like McKinna, is looking for a better return in front of goal.

He accepts that Dani Rodrigues and Noah Hickey have had limited match action since returning from injury but admits it is now time to step up.

"Last week they showed some flashes and we have done a lot of work on finishing this week," said Nevin. "Hopefully that will convert to goals.

"We did well against Sydney last week but were than undone by a wonder goal. I took some positives from the opening 55 minutes before they scored and also from the way in which the players did not let their heads go down after it was scored."

But, Nevin admitted, after three defeats on the bounce, "this is a massive game for us and them".

Nevin has named the same 15 players as last week and will almost certainly go with the same starting line-up, leaving Danny Milosevic, Sean Devine, Jonti Richter and Adam Casey on the bench.

It is unlikely new signing Hamza Mohammad will figure, although Nevin suggested if his clearance comes through today, he will be considered.

NZ KNIGHTS v CENTRAL COAST MARINERS

North Harbour Stadium, 8 tonight

* NZ Knights (from): Michael Turnbull, Darren Bazeley, Greg Duruz, Che Bunce, Neil Emblen, Richard Johnson, Scot Gemmill, Dani Rodrigues, Sean Devine, Jonti Richter, Malik Buari, Noah Hickey, Adam Casey, Sime Kovacevic, Danny Milosevic.

* Central Coast Mariners (from): Danny Vukovic, Paul OGrady, Noel Spencer, Jamie McMaster, Tom Pondeljak, Stewart Petrie, Tony Vidmar, Vuko Tomasevic, Andrew Clark, Matthew Osman, Alex Wilkinson, Adam Kwasnik, Mile Jedinak, Damian Mori, Matthew Trott.