Mariners on hunt for fit and firing No.9

CENTRAL Coast are doing everything in their power to bring in a No.9 capable of lifting them into A-League finals calculations.

But coach Paul Okon admits it will be an uphill battle finding someone fit and available at this point of the January transfer window.

The abrupt departure of homesick Spanish striker Asdrubal (pictured) on Saturday has left the Mariners with space to bring in another foreigner for the final 10 rounds.

A like-for-like replacement up front is what the club most urgently needs, having scored just 17 goals, the equal-least of any team in the A-League. “We’re trying,” Okon said. “At this time of year it’s probably the position that’s hardest to fill.

“Everyone wants a No.9 that scores goals. If you look around, there probably aren’t too many that are fit and scoring, and free and available to come and make an impact.

“We don’t want to just bring in someone for the sake of it.”

The Mariners deservedly rose from ninth to seventh on the table this round after holding dominant leaders Sydney FC to a 1-1 draw at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night.

It was an off night for the Sky Blues but their visitors were spirited and smart, and Okon praised the way his side “didn’t give them a sniff”.

Now three points shy of sixth-placed Western Sydney, there is hope for a late surge into a first finals series in four years. Yet Okon was quick to temper optimism with realism.

“Each week we don’t get three points just makes it that little bit harder to think about what possibly could be after 27 rounds,” he said.