Mariners stranded in Kyrgyzstan

The battle for the A-League premiership has taken a twist, with Central Coast’s clash against Adelaide United that had been scheduled for Sunday postponed after the Mariners were left stranded in Kyrgyzstan.

The Mariners played on Wednesday night (AEST) in Bishkek, where they drew 1-1 with Abdysh-Ata Kant in the first leg of their AFC Cup inter-zonal final.

However, they were foiled in their attempts to leave Kyrgyzstan after the match due to their connecting flight to Dubai being cancelled because of adverse weather conditions in the region.

The Mariners, who are involved in a two-horse race for the A-League’s Premier’s Plate with Wellington Phoenix, now won’t arrive back in Australia with sufficient time to prepare for a Sunday game.

As a result, their clash in Gosford with Adelaide has been put on hold.

A new date for the match has yet to be announced, but it won’t be next week., with the Mariners due to play the second leg of their battle with Abdysh-Ata Kant next Wednesday in Gosford.

It’s likely the Mariners-Adelaide game will be played midweek in the week commencing Sunday, April 28.

“We will share more information in the coming days on the rescheduled date following further consultation with clubs, (Football Australia) and based on AFC Cup fixturing,” an Australian Professional Leagues statement said.

The Phoenix can move three points clear of the Mariners at the top of the A-League ladder by beating the Newcastle Jets at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday night.

“There are so many scenarios that can play out now,” Phoenix coach Giancarlo Italiano said.

The Mariners conceded a stoppage-time goal to be forced to settle for a draw in Bishkek.

Central Coast seemed headed for victory when defender Brian Kaltak gave them the lead in the 81st minute at Dolen Omurzakov Stadium,

However, midfielder Magamed Uzdenov’s late goal ensured the teams will be on level terms heading into the second leg in Gosford.

The aggregate winner will meet either Lebanese outfit Al-Ahed or Oman club Al-Nahda in the AFC Cup final on May 5.

Al-Ahed lead Al-Nahda 1-0 after the first leg of their zonal final.

Meanwhile, the A-League’s annual Dolan-Warren awards ceremony has been canned by the embattled APL, who continue to “consolidate” following significant financial losses.

Instead, the medals for the men’s and women’s player of the season, as well as the awards for young player and goal of the season, will be presented on the respective grand final days.

“This year’s Dolan-Warren Awards will be presented on our grand final days and across A-League owned channels,” an APL spokesman said.

“We’ve had some fantastic events over the years, of all different varieties, but this year we wanted to bring the awards closer to fans and give them a platform to be celebrated during the biggest games of the year.”