Losing coach's ultimate on-air humiliation

Central Coast Mariners coach Mike Mulvey suffered the ultimate on-air embarrassment after his side’s record 8-2 loss in the A-League on Saturday night.

The absolute mauling by the Wellington Phoenix left the rock-bottom Mariners with just seven points from 21 games.

The scoreline equalled the competition’s biggest scoring match when the Mariners crashed to an 8-2 home loss against Newcastle Jets just 11 months ago.

If that wasn’t bad enough for Mulvey, things would soon get much, much worse.

Firstly, the coach agreed to a post-match interview with Fox Sports which, considering the hiding his side had just been given, was excruciating enough.

However, to rub salt into the wounds, a raucous Phoenix victory song began booming from a nearby dressing room, drowning out Mulvey as he tried to speak.

To his credit, the Mariners coach handled the chastening situation with aplomb, calmly going about his business as he tried to explain the horrific result.

Incredibly though, Mulvey’s week sank to a sad new low hours later when the club released a statement just before 1am confirming the coach had been sacked.

Mulvey joined the Mariners ahead of the 2018/19 season but with just one win, the club has decided to act.

A club statement released early on Sunday morning said: “The Central Coast Mariners can today advise that the Club has parted ways with Head Coach Mike Mulvey, effective immediately.

“With six games remaining in the Hyundai A-League 2018/19 season, the club will issue a statement when a decision has been made regarding who will lead the team during this period.

“At this stage, there are no other changes to the club’s other coaching and football support staff.”

The Central Coast Mariners wish Mulvey all the best in his future endeavours and him for his service to the Club.”

Missing players due to suspension and disciplinary reasons, a hugely inexperienced Mariners side were carved apart by the likes of two-goal Phoenix striker Roy Krishna and his attacking cohorts.

Down 4-0 at halftime, the home side was 7-0 down by the 59th minute mark and looking likely to suffer by an all-time A-League record losing margin, with the previous mark set by Adelaide United who secured an 8-1 win over North Queensland Fury in 2011.

The Mariners went into the match without a host of senior players with Matt Simon and Aiden O’Neill unavailable due to suspension.

Andrew Hoole was omitted due to disciplinary issues, having fallen foul of a drinking ban, while Connor Pain was a surprise and unexplained omission.

Yet it was the Phoenix who went into the contest in freefall, having won just one of their last seven matches and in danger of ceding their spot in the top-six to Newcastle Jets.

That momentum changed almost instantly as Phoenix raced to a 3-0 lead inside 21 minutes with an own goal from Mariners defender Sam Graham getting the scoring underway.

Krishna, having forced that opener, soon doubled the advantage with a cool lob.

David Williams then finished off after profiting from a defensive turnover, before Krishna went equal top of the competition’s goal-scoring list with his second of the night and 14th of the season moments before the break.

Mike Mulvey’s halftime talk clearly had little impact as Liberato Cacace, Sarpreet Singh and Louis Fenton all netted by the hour mark.

The Mariners netted two consolation goals against the run of play, firstly through fullback Jack Clisby and then via a fine Stephen Mallon free kick.

Wellington’s previous best win was 6-0 against the defunct Gold Coast United in 2009.

The result sees the Phoenix leapfrog Melbourne City and Adelaide United up to fourth on the ladder – the latter on goal difference.

With AAP