Heading into their second consecutive finals series, Central Coast Mariners are hitting their stride thanks to the mastermind that is Nick Montgomery.
In his first season as head coach of the Mariners, Montgomery has sure lived up to the hype since being announced in the role in July last year.
The accolades and records they’ve collected this season is a true reflection on the integrity and philosophy of the man they call ‘Monty’.
Their final game of the season, a 2-0 win against rivals Newcastle Jets, tallied the first time in club history the Mariners have won all single season encounters.
Mariners win against Brisbane Roar a few days before claimed their first victory in Queensland in eight seasons, and the first time winning consecutive games against Roar in club history.
Monty also continually reminds media about their FFA Cup final feat. Despite falling short, it’s still incredible when you take into account the squad’s age and club’s budget.
Humble and solid as ever, Montgomery acknowledges these club records metaphorically as just a game won in his eyes.
“Records are there to be broken but real testament to these players that they go out every week and I set them a challenge and that is to win the game,” said Montgomery.
“If you do that then you have the chance of breaking records.”
The records went tumbling last night in Redcliffe.
✅ Back-to-back wins against Brisbane in the A-League for the first time
✅ 4 wins in a row for the first time since 2013
✅ First win in QLD in A-League since 2014Not bad for a little team from the Coast 😉 #WontBackDown pic.twitter.com/GSpyEuppxH
— Central Coast Mariners (@CCMariners) May 3, 2022
Montgomery’s work among the Mariners’ academy system over the past few years has really laid a platform of success heading into this A-League Men season.
This season’s squad consists of 12 players who graduated from the Mariners academy with Montgomery at the helm.
His attitude toward the development of these kids is a real indication of where the club is headed over the next few years.
The current squad doesn’t seem to miss a beat either. One player falls out of the squad, and another swiftly fills the void like it was never there.
Although Montgomery wouldn’t say his squad has depth, the utilities at his disposal seems to make his job much easier.
“I’ve worked with a lot of the academy boys for the last two or three years and the boys know if you work hard and perform then we’ll bring them into the first team set-up. That’s how you’ve got to teach them,” said the head coach.
“This team’s resilience, their attitude, their mentality, everything. They just work so hard for each other.
”
"𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞 because kids will make mistakes. But that’s also 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰."
Nick Montgomery was brave.
So brave in fact, his @CCMariners stack up on a global level.
They're also bound for the @IsuzuUTE A-League finals 👏
— Isuzu UTE A-League (@aleaguemen) May 4, 2022
Despite attention being drawn to his name, Montgomery makes mention to assistant coach Sergio Raimundo. Raimundo worked alongside Montgomery in the same role in the academy before both making the step into the A-League Mens.
Without the dedication of a coach, especially an assistant, the team wouldn’t be able to function at maximum capability.
“The guy is world class. He’s coached and developed world class players and has been involved with that for a long time,” Montgomery said.
“As well as him and all the other support staff, everybody digs in and we do what we can with what we’ve got and we’re proud of who we are.”
The Central Coast community has certainly embraced the leadership of Montgomery for this season.
With a new board director announced on Saturday, the club seems to be on the up for the next couple of seasons.
For now, the Montgomery effect is in full throttle, with aims of championship victory in clear perspective.
Feature Image Credit: Central Coast Mariners
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