Will Booth 
Dylan Peraic-Cullen in action for the Mariners against Melbourne Victory. Photo: Texi Smith
One of the biggest question marks over the Central Coast Mariners squad coming into the 24/25 season was the goalkeeping position, having been dealt the blow of Danny Vukovic’s retirement at the end of the treble winning campaign, however a surprise inclusion from round one may have what it takes to nail down the spot.
New signing Adam Pavlesic had got the nod in goals for all three competitive fixtures for the Mariners prior to round one, leading fans to believe the former Sydney FC shot stopper would be Mark Jackson’s number one come time for the regular season.
Jackson instead made a brave choice in net, with Pavlesic dropping out of the matchday squad all together before their game against Melbourne Victory with Jack Warshawsky and Dylan Peraic-Cullen surviving the cut.
It was the latter option in Peraic-Cullen who would make his maiden start in the grand final rematch, becoming the Mariners youngest ever starting goalkeeper, alongside earning the title of youngest keeper to keep a clean sheet when starting in A-League Men history.
He was only required to make one save throughout the night, with a smart save to his left, and was fortunate to maintain his clean sheet when Bruno Fornaroli struck the post with his chance from the penalty spot.
It was not necessarily what he offered with his shot stopping ability that impressed, but the confidence shown with the ball at his feet.
He was often trapping the ball with his studs and baiting Victory to commit to a press before finding a teammate in more advanced area, allowing the Mariners to find space in behind the press.
Mariners coach Mark Jackson was full of praise for Peraic-Cullen’s performance but tempered any expectations about his choice being a permanent one.
“There’s no number one just as yet, but if you want to put a label on it, Dylan started tonight so he’s taken that mantle,” said Jackson.
“His performances in training and certain games have given him the edge on the other two.”
It remains to be seen how Pavlesic can work his way back into the squad, facing suspension in the upcoming AFC Champions League match against Shanghai Port where Jackson’s side will take on Kevin Muscat’s team who sit in second place in the Chinese Super League.
With Warshawsky also waiting in the wings for his opportunity, there is no certainty over the position and we may have come out of this game with even more questions than we went into it.
Jackson, however, sees this as a strength in his side.
“We’ve got three young goalkeepers there who are really performing and pushing each other in training, [and] that’s what you want.” he said.
A point in his first match of this season is an improvement on last year’s start, and the Mariners will take plenty away from the match as they head to China on Tuesday night before a meeting with Adelaide United greets them in round two of the A-League.