Preview: Olympic FC v Central Coast Mariners

Olympic FC v Central Coast Mariners

Tuesday 16 September 2014 (Kick-Off 7.30pm local time)

Queensland Sports and Athletic Centre (QSAC), Nathan QLD

Tickets: Click here for ticketing details

Coverage details: LIVE updates on FOX SPORTS 3 and 3HD

Join the conversation on Twitter using the hash-tag #OLYvCCM

Olympic FC squad: 1.Brandon CUMINAO (GK), 3.James CUMINAO, 4.Matthew BYRNE, 5.Kazuya ITO, 7.Daniel CRACK, 9.Tim SMITS, 10.Daniel BYRNE (c), 11.Reuben WAY, 12.Sam HENNY, 13.Darren GRAY, 14.Terry HUGHES, 15.Mark FISK, 16.Mustafa JAFARI, 17.Luke HOWELL, 18.Jacob MCLEAN, 19.Nicholas EFSTATHIS, 20.Shannon LANCINI (GK)

Central Coast Mariners squad: 1.Beyhan IRMAKO (Gk), 3.Joshua ROSE, 5.Zachary ANDERSON, 6.Brent GRIFFITHS, 7.John HUTCHINSON, 8.Nick MONTGOMERY, 9.Mitchell DUKE, 11.Nick FITZGERALD, 12.Liam REDDY (Gk), 13.Hayden MORTON, 15.Storm ROUX, 17.Anthony CACERES, 18.Michael NEILL, 20.Anthony KALIK, 22.Tom SLATER, 25.Eddy BOSNAR, 27.Isaka CERNAK, 28.Glen TRIFIRO

Central Coast Mariners’ undefeated pre-season campaign is set to get a serious test as they face a fired-up Queensland NPL club Olympic FC.

Jim Bellas’ Olympic FC will have to pick themselves up quickly after they were narrowly beaten 3-2 by Palm Beach Sharks in a thrilling Queensland NPL grand final on Friday night.

But it shouldn’t be hard to do just that with a quarter-final spot on the line and at what should be a rocking Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre.

Ex-Brisbane Roar striker Tim Smits, who scored a brace in the NPL decider, will be a key figure for the hosts while the experience of Matt Mundy and x-factor Jake McLean will be vital if they are to pull off an upset.

It won’t be an easy task though against a Mariners outfit that has improved with every performance in their pre-season schedule.

That included an encouraging 1-1 draw with Hyundai A-League champions Brisbane Roar on Friday, with Nick Fitzgerald on the scoresheet.

Imports Richárd Vernes and Malick Mane, who scored in the recent friendly with Melbourne City, are both set to make their Westfield FFA Cup debuts but Korean Kim Seung-yong remains in doubt after picking up an injury against the Roar.

This promises to be an enthralling tie with a State of Origin feel as Queensland’s NPL tries to bring down the might of a Hyundai A-League club from NSW.