The F3 derby could be renamed the route one derby, well at least for the most recent addition in this rivalry anyway. The rate at which the Mariners were pumping those long balls up was alarming and this kind of football is very much an acquired taste. It will also leave a foul taste in the mouths of others. The Mariners’ tactics were not surprising but were still frustrating given that they showed that they can play good football on the ground against the likes of Adelaide and Melbourne. I guess with Jedinak out, route one was preferred. I think even for Mariners fans, this game was very much a case of getting to the destination with the travel not being half the trip.
As for the Jets, it was very disappointing that they didn’t get their own game going. Particularly in the first half, the Mariners’ play caused the Jets to start playing long balls as well. Yes the front three strikers of the Mariners were putting a lot of pressure on and made playing out from the back difficult but the Jets didn’t really attempt this. And what is the point of having more in midfield but you just going to bypass them? Good teams play the game on their terms. The Jets should have tried to monopolise possession and play their short passing game. By also pumping the ball long and frequently giving the ball away, they just gave the Mariners more ammunition throw long balls back at them.
They tried to change things up in the second, to get more of the ball and be more patient. However, their attack really failed to spark. Song had plenty of possession but created little end product in terms of creating chances. It was again Joel Griffiths that looked the most likely for the Jets. Additionally, I thought that the Jets’ attack looked very stagnant. There wasn’t enough players working hard and making runs off the ball to either provide an option or create room for teammates. They looked like a bunch of individuals out there.
Milligan’s return was unsurprisingly lackluster given his lack of match practice. He missed several easy passes in his own half while his reading of the play in defence was also off. Given the short season, he won’t have much time to get things right.
