Substitute Ryan Edmonson was the man of the match for Central Coast Mariners as his hat-trick in the second half helped the Australians to a comfortable 4-0 win over Cambodian dark horses Phnom Penh Crown in their 2023 AFC Cup zonal semi-final match on Tuesday.
Jing Reec initiated the scoring for the Mariners in the initial half, followed by Edmondson netting three times in the final 20 minutes, aiding his team's victory over the Cambodian champions at the Central Coast Stadium in Gosford and securing advancement to the zonal final.
The game saw its first opportunity in the 18th minute when Central Coast winger Ronald Barcellos missed his header from a Jacob Farrell cross, preceding Reec's attempt that flew over the goal in the 25th minute.
Nevertheless, the hosts broke the stalemate in the 37th minute when Reec skillfully controlled an Angel Torres cross inside the box and slotted the ball low past Phnom Penh goalkeeper Um Vichet, granting Mark Jackson’s team a 1-0 lead.
The first half concluded with the Mariners' opening goal remaining the sole shot on target, as the visitors failed to challenge goalkeeper Danny Vukovic in the Central Coast goal.
Despite losing their ace Marco Tulio to J.League 1 side Kyoto Sanga in the transfer market prior to the match, Central Coast remained a deadly side to contend with, and the hosts came close to doubling their lead seven minutes into the second half. Reec set up Miguel Di Pizio for a one-on-one opportunity, but the 18-year-old striker's shot sailed over the crossbar.
Although Oleg Starynskyi’s Phnom Penh side enjoyed more possession after halftime, the home team effectively sealed the match in the 72nd minute with their second goal.
Right-back Storm Roux, advancing down the flank, provided a cutback for substitute Edmondson, who was unmarked inside the box and clinically dispatched a low shot past the Cambodian goalkeeper to score his first goal of the evening.
Subsequently, the Englishman secured his second goal by intercepting the ball from Phnom Penh captain Orn Chanpolin inside the box and finding the back of the net in the 78th minute. Finally, he completed his hat-trick in the 94th minute, slotting the ball into an unguarded net after Vichet was left stranded, sealing the 4-0 victory.
Despite defeat, Phnom Penh could still count themselves proud as no Cambodian side has reached the latter stages of the AFC Cup within the ASEAN zone, having usually played the role of cannon fodders at the tournament.
As for Central Coast, they will face Macarthur FC in a New South Wales derby in the zonal final, which will be played at the Campbelltown Sports Stadium in south west Sydney on February 22nd.
