(Reuters) - Central Coast Mariners coach Mark Jackson denied he had been concerned by his side's slow start to the season after leading the reigning A-League champions to their first win of the domestic campaign with victory over Newcastle Jets on Friday.
Mariners, who won both the A-League Premiership and Championship plus the AFC Cup last season, had drawn three and lost one of their opening four A-League games so far this season but came back from a goal down to defeat Newcastle in Sydney.
"It's been a long time coming," said Jackson. "The boys have been working really hard this season and we haven't always got the rub of the green.
"We dug in deep and we showed courage to play a little bit of a different way, a little bit of a different structure that we've been working on and the boys showed courage and fight to get back into the game and to hold the lead at the end.
"Really delighted for the lads with the hard work they've put in."
Thomas Aquilina put Newcastle ahead when he scored into an empty net in the 64th minute but Mariners captain Brian Kaltak levelled two minutes later when he glanced Harrison Steele's lofted centre into the penalty area past Ryan Scott.
Aleksandar Susnjar put the ball in his own net with 15 minutes remaining to give Central Coast the points as Lucas Mauragis' low cross from the left cannoned in off the Jets defender's shin.
"Internally we know what we do day in day out, how we work, what the processes are, what a good bunch of young men I've got in that dressing room," Jackson said about his side's disappointing start. "We weren't concerned.
"I was more apprehensive for them to get the win because I see the work the boys put in on a daily basis on the training ground.
"At times they didn't get what they deserved but they'll keep pushing and as long as they keep pushing that attitude for us then we'll be OK."
(Reporting by Michael Church; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
