Central Coast Mariners have booked their place in the A-League finals following a 2-0 win over Brisbane Roar on Tuesday night.
The Mariners are now priced at 12/1 to go on and win the grand final but just making the top six is a big achievement in itself after they were written off by many at the start of the season.
Montgomery the master
The Mariners made the finals last year under the leadership of Alen Stajcic but after he left along with a host of players, many suggested new boss Nick Montgomery would struggle with a youthful side.
However Montgomery knew what they were capable of after working with them in the academy set-up and he got the best out of them to make the top six.
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Keeping the faith
Teen starlet Garang Kuol was again on the scoresheet, with Lewis Miller getting the other, and Montgomery always had faith in his youngsters.
"Everybody wrote us off at the start of the year before we even kicked the ball,” Montgomery said.
"We lost Matty Simon, lost Alou Kuol, it was virtually a new team this year bar one or two. I had full belief in the young boys that I've coached for the last couple of years, they've been the nucleus of the squad with a couple of experienced boys around them.
"I knew that I'd spent a couple of years building a foundation in the academy to develop players and, for me, I don't see them as young players. they're A-League players."
