sport news How Central Coast Mariners went from anchoring the A-League ladder to surging ... trends now
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For the first time in a decade, the Central Coast Mariners will play in the A-League grand final on Saturday night - a feat many of their loyal fans would have widely scoffed at a few years ago.
Two A-League deciders in 2006 and 2008 set the tone early on, and in 2013 - at the fourth time of asking - they finally broke their duck, beating the Western Sydney Wanderers 2-0 with current Socceroos coach Graham Arnold in charge.
When Arnold departed the club to take up a role with Japanese side Vegalta Sendai, assistant Phil Moss took over - and it was the start of a worrying decline at Gosford.
For a club who has produced Socceroos such as Mat Ryan, Mile Jedinak, Tom Rogic and Garang Kuol, fortunes dipped dramatically.
Four wooden spoons followed, a succession of coaches and being branded the 'worst professional football team in Australia' by some sections of the media.
Central Coast Mariners will play in the A-League Grand Final on Saturday night - a feat many of their fans would have scoffed at a few years ago (pictured, coach Nick Montgomery)
The Mariners are a club who thrive as underdogs (pictured, striker Jason Cummings)
The resurgence began in 2019,
