Central Coast goalkeeper Mat Ryan has backed a young Mariners squad to grind out a result in China on Tuesday.
With one eye Sunday s A-League semi-final showdown with Melbourne Victory, Mariners coach Graham Arnold elected to leave several experienced players in Gosford ahead of the AFC Champions League match with Guizhou Renhe.
Instead, he has placed his faith for the trip to China in a host of youngsters, with just three of the 15-man squad over 25.
Ryan turned 21 on Monday, but has 86 senior appearances since making his debut in 2010. He had some reassuring words for his young team-mates ahead of the match at the Guiyang Sports Centre.
There is nothing more I like than to see a young boy getting a chance and taking it, he said in a club statement.
They’ve all had a taste of first team football here at the Mariners and they’ve all held their own, and they’ll be looking to do that again.
Being a young boy, you ve kind of got no fear. You just kind of go out and live up the moment. Hopefully we can work hard and grind out a result.
The boys can take a lot of confidence out of the result at home (a 2-1 win last Wednesday).
Being on the road this time things are a little bit different with the travel, but we re confident we ve got the team structure and have brought the team across that can come here and get a positive result tomorrow night before going home to the semi on Sunday.
Guizhou Renhe are reportedly a club dealing with inner turmoil, with rumours interim coach Gong Lei has lost the players and former Manchester City defender Sun Jihai wields too much power in the dressing room.
All Ryan wants, however, is a belated birthday present: I can t really celebrate my birthday in the typical fashion that you celebrate a 21st birthday, but I have the best job in the world so there s no better way to do it.
