Okon bullish despite Mariners defeat

Oct 22, 2017 - 5:37 PM Cleaning up defensive lapses and taking their chances is all that Central Coast Mariners coach Paul Okon feels is required for a first A-League win this season.

The Mariners remain winless having started with a 5-1 loss at home to the Newcastle Jets before an improved showing to draw 2-2 with Western Sydney Wanderers ahead of Sunday's 2-1 loss to Perth Glory on Sunday.

Central Coast were the dominant team in Perth for at least the first 20 minutes of each half and scored first courtesy of Dutchman Wout Brama in the 15th minute.

But they couldn't capitalise on any other opportunities and were caught out twice with Glory scoring two goals in the last 25 minutes.

Kwabena Appiah, Connor Pain, Asdruval and Brama were particularly lively in attack but the Mariners just ran out of gas in warm conditions.

"I'm not going to feel sorry for myself and neither are the players," Okon said.

"We are close, we just need to put 95 minutes together with none of those moments that ultimately cost you goals.

"We have to work so hard for ours and some of our opportunities where we should have scored this season have come from great football. But then we cop two goals on long balls straight down the middle. That's unacceptable."

The Mariners have three of their next four games at home starting Sunday against Melbourne Victory.

Okon knows converting opportunities and being stronger defensively is the key finding that elusive win.

"We need to start taking our chances and if we can do that we will put ourselves in a better position to win our first game which the players are desperate to do," Okon said.

"Our approach is no different if we play home or away and I think everyone saw that today. It will be nice next week to not have the long travel.

"But with 27 rounds of the A-League this is going to happen and hopefully with a run of home games we can get some points.

|We are certainly deserved in the way we're playing but maybe not so in the way we've defended in certain moments in games."

Source: AAP