It had been a tight encounter for the first 80 minutes, between the two A-League sides until Nisbet produced a moment of pure class to break the deadlock. He delivered a wonderful through ball for second-half substitute Angel Torres to run on to and score the opener away from home at the Campbelltown Sports Stadium.

 

“I think I picked it up from a mistake initially and brought the ball forward. It got to the stage where not much was happening, so I slowed down a bit and then I think Angel and I made a bit of eye contact,” recalled Nisbet in an exclusive conversation with the-AFC.com 

 

“So, I knew he would make the run forward and I would just have to slide it forward to him. He did the rest, chipping it in and scoring a good goal.”

From there on, the floodgates opened and the match eventually went into the additional period where the Mariners found themselves trailing until Brazilian duo Mikael Doka and Ronald Barcellos scored late on in both halves of extra time to secure a dramatic victory.

 

“I think you can see in the domestic competitions where we have lost just one game in the last 15 matches. I feel like when we went down we had the belief and the determination to make sure we get the next goal," said Nisbet.

 

“We could have easily settled for penalties, but we wanted to get the game done early and fortunately we won the game."

It has indeed been a remarkable turnaround for the reigning A-League champions who began their title defence with four successive defeats but now find themselves within touching distance of top spot.

 

Colombian forward Torres has been delivering the goods in his maiden season in Australia, following in the footsteps of fellow South American Marco Tulio who departed for Kyoto Sanga in the J1 League in January.

 

“Marco Tulio was a massive part of our team. Not just on the pitch but off the pitch he is a good person as well," recalled Nisbet.

 

"And then Angel has just stepped up scoring goals and providing assists. He has been great for us and we’re thankful for him and the contributions he has put in the AFC Cup and the A-League.”

With Jackson at the helm, Nisbet has been allowed to play a little further forward and he has flourished, registering six assists in the league and six-goal contributions in the AFC Cup with his one goal this season coming against Filipino side Stallion Laguna on the continental stage.

 

“The final product this season I think has improved. It helps playing a bit further forward than I had previously. The positions we take up when we have the ball in more advantageous positions helps in assisting the goals,” Nisbet explained.

 

“I feel it’s just the positioning and the final product that’s got a little bit higher as compared to previous seasons. I would love to score more goals and I will try and do that from now on as well.”

The midfielder’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed as he was adjudged as the PFA Player of the Month for January 2024, becoming the first Mariners player to win the award in almost three years since Oliver Bozanic in February 2021.

 

“It's the first time I have received that, and it’s been a fair few years for anyone at the club. It’s about having fun and enjoying the style of football that we play," he said. 

 

"That has helped me feel comfortable and confident in my abilities which has transitioned into the performances on the pitch."

The two teams are separated by a distance of well over 9000 kilometres, and that could potentially have a huge impact with this tie to be played over two legs with the first leg in Gosford on March 7 followed by the return leg in Bhubaneswar a week later.

 

Central Coast topped Group G which featured Terengganu FC, Bali United and Stallion Laguna, and the club are used to travelling long distances, with a trip to Perth Glory in the A-League among their their away games in Australia. 

“We are already in league mode and have got the recovery gear. I know the journey to India will be longer than we usually do but we know we’ve done it to the Philippines, Bali and Malaysia,” noted Nisbet.

 

“Although we may not have travelled this long for a match before, I think we are quite prepared for the journey that’s going to face us.”

The Mariners, who had reached the Round of 16 in the AFC Champions League™ in 2009 and 2013, have scored a joint-high 28 goals in the AFC Cup this season and know that being able to successfully navigate the Inter-Zone semi-finals will mean they will be just one match away from the final.

 

And with the football club being the only professional sports team from the city of Gosford, the fans and the players take a lot of pride in representing their region.

“Fortunately, through many people, we have now reached a competition that represents us globally in the Asia-Pacific region. For the club, it’s more of a privilege and it just means a lot to do that (play for the club) on a bigger scale now,” added Nisbet.

 

“The players and staff believe we can go all the way. We know it’s not going to be easy when we come up against quality players and quality teams in this competition, but we also know that we have the ability to do that. So, as long as we perform and we believe in ourselves I think we can go all the way.”