Another week, another successful multi for this column! Nearly a third of the damage done in the first seven weeks of the season has been reclaimed in the last two. Let’s hope the upward trend continues.
SEASON BETTING TALLY
Wagered = $900 – $10 per suggested bet
Collected = $679.70
Profit/Loss = – $220.30
% Profit/Loss = -24.5%
CHEEKY ROUND 10 A-LEAGUE MULTI
Andy’s Bet: Brisbane to win, Wellington to win or draw, Central Coast to win and Melbourne Victory to win @ 6.55 (Centrebet)
FRIDAY
Brisbane Roar v Melbourne Heart (AEDT 2000)
The champions were beaten in Sydney last week proving they are fallible after all! The run had to end eventually and perhaps now the players can focus on each match in isolation rather than feeling the pressure to maintain their unbeaten streak. There is a flip side though, with Heart defender Adrian Madaschi talking up his team’s chances of inflicting a second successive defeat on Brisbane, describing Brisbane’s unbeaten run as a ‘mental factor’ which has now been wiped out by Sydney. The way I see it, fair enough, the Roar are beatable away from home, but good luck if you want to take 3 points from Suncorp! Brisbane coach Ange Postecoglou strikes me as the type of strategist, not just keen on bouncing straight back this week, but planning for his side to put the fear immediately back into the minds of their opponents with a dominant display in this game. Melbourne are in the best form of their small history, losing just one of their last seven to haul themselves into the top 6. Ultimately though, this is Brisbane playing at Suncorp, don’t muck about and chuck all your coins on the home team. I reckon Brisbane will be flicking on the style switch this week.
Andy’s Bet: Brisbane to win @ 1.53 (Sportingbet)
Andy’s Bet: Brisbane to win by 2 or more goals @ 2.37 (Sportsbet)
SATURDAY
Wellington Phoenix v Perth Glory (AEDT 1500)
The Glory will venture out on the longest away journey in the league to make it for kickoff at the Westpac Stadium. The trip is greater than 5,000km as the crow flies and will mean the Perth boys will be in the air for many hours, not really the best preparation for a soccer game. All these aircraft miles can’t be good for the A-League’s carbon footprint! There is one object jetting around Wellington not releasing dangerous greenhouse gases and that object is the clean, green and mean Wellington playmaker Paul Ifill. The Phoenix forward has flown back to his best form after missing the early part of the season through injury and will run rings around an inexperienced Perth Glory defence crippled by injuries to senior players. A win for Wellington will keep them in touch with the top 6. The Phoenix need the 3 points and I expect them to get them.
Andy’s Bet: Wellington to win @ 2.15 (Sportingbet, TAB Sportsbet)
Andy’s Bet: Paul Ifill to score anytime @ 3.25 (Sportsbet)
Central Coast Mariners v Newcastle Jets (AEDT 1730)
One of A-League football’s biggest rivalries, the F3 derby, returns to spice up your Saturday night. It is edition number 24 of the grudge match and the twelfth time the Central Coast have hosted from their own patch. The Mariners have dominated the derby in their home games, losing just once from eleven such meetings. In the last five home games against Newcastle, the Central Coast have won four and drawn one, keeping a clean sheet in each victory. A miserly defence has been Mariners’ trademark in recent seasons, with exactly half of their home games last season resulting in wins to nil for the navy blue and yellow striped brigade. There are two Jets teams this season. The good one that plays at home – and wins. And the bad one that plays away – and loses. Newcastle are four from five at home and none from four away from Ausgrid Stadium. Look for Alex Wilkinson to keep the Mariners defence steady, while Mustafa Amini is now starting and scoring from midfield. Central Coast should be too strong at Bluetongue.
Andy’s Bet: Central Coast to win @ 1.83 (Centrebet)
Andy’s Bet: Central Coast to win to nil @ 3.20 (Centrebet)
Melbourne Victory v Adelaide United (AEDT 1945)
Brisbane might hold the Australian sporting record for the most consecutive matches played without defeat, but Melbourne are chasing their own piece of history. The Victory must surely be closing in on the most ‘season defining’ matches played by a single team in a single season. For the mathematically inclined, Melbourne’s season has had more turning points than a fifth degree polynomial equation. The season started with a bang, marquee man Harry Kewell playing the full 90 minutes against Sydney, however things quickly fizzled as the team failed to score in their first three games. A rare away win in Wellington followed before a rousing 2-2 draw against Brisbane, Melbourne holding on with only 9 men. The Brisbane game was a maximum turning point as the navy blues then let a two goal home lead slip against a 10-man Perth. That result was quickly forgiven after their own 10-men comeback, winning 3-2 against the Gold Coast. Now the season has slipped again after a disappointing defeat last week. The Victory took part in a mickey mouse friendly with the LA Galaxy midweek and Kewell was rested, much to the star player’s annoyance. Kewell’s wife, Sheree, even took the new-age step of tweeting her husband’s disappointment. Throughout Kewell’s career he has risen for the big games, so I fully expect the left-footed wizard to work some magic against Adelaide. For their part, the Reds trek east with their tails between their legs after copping a 4-0 home walloping at the hands of the Mariners last Friday. The Reds confidence is at rock bottom and they have badly missed last year’s golden boot winner Sergio van Dijk, the team netting just seven goals this term, the fewest in the league. van Dijk scored the winner when these teams met in Week 2 and his return will be a boost, but Adelaide will still be without their injured marquee man Dario Vidosic, who is also the only United player to score more than one goal all season. Melbourne should shoot up the league table with a comfortable win in this one.
Andy’s Bet: Melbourne Victory to win @ 1.87 (Centrebet)
Andy’s Bet: Harry Kewell to score anytime @ 2.75 (Sportsbet)
SUNDAY
Gold Coast United v Sydney FC (AEDT 1700)
I’m going to keep this preview simple. Sydney have scored in their last seven matches and Gold Coast have scored in all four of their home fixtures. I’ll be taking the both teams to score bet. I’m not sure which way this match will go as the Sky Blues have been very inconsistent, highlighted by their victory over the previously unbeaten Brisbane last week, which ended a two game Sydney losing streak. The Gold Coast have lost their past 5, but have played better than that formline suggests and were unlucky to lose away to Sydney just five weeks ago. United held a 2-0 lead at the hour mark of that contest before being overhauled, with a dubious stoppage time penalty sealing a 3-2 Sydney win.
Andy’s Bet: Both teams to score @ 1.77 (TAB Sportsbet)