Mariners men powered by Brandtman walk into Wanderers test

The Mariners travel to Sydney this weekend, buoyed by a strong result on the road against Perth and will be keen not to lose that momentum after the international break as they take on the Wanderers at Parramatta Stadium.

The round four result two weeks ago saw the Mariners clinch a hard-fought 1-0 victory away against Perth Glory though a superb long-range left-foot strike from 20-year-old academy graduate Bailey Brandtman in the 57th minute.

That goal not only marked Brandtman’s first in the top flight but lifted the Mariners’ campaign, finishing the round in the top six.

Under interim manager Warren Moon, the Mariners are showing improved signs of resilience away from home and a sharper attacking edge, scoring in two consecutive matches.

With Brandtman stepping up, the squad appears to have found a fresh spark up front.

The question now is whether they carry on with that form after a weekend off and against a Wanderers side which is winless this season.

Pressure is mounting on Wanderers manager Alen Stajcic following the winless start to the season.

Western Sydney entered the campaign with high expectations, tipped by many pundits as genuine title contenders after bolstering their attack with key signings such as Kosta Barbarouses and former Mariners striker Alou Kuol.

However, the Wanderers have struggled to find the back of the net, scoring just two goals in their opening four matches, matching Perth with the lowest tally in the league.

That means the Mariners head to Parramatta on Saturday with some confidence.

Sitting inside the top six, they’ll be eager to extend their strong run and pile further pressure on the Wanderers.

Will Central Coast continue their momentum, or can Western Sydney finally break through and secure a much-needed win to ease the strain on Stajcic?

Catch all the action live on Coast FM 963 with the A-Team from 4:30pm Saturday.

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