McKinna planning to end Central Coast’s ACL campaign on a high

Central Coast Mariners coach Lawrie McKinna is hoping his team can end their Asian Champions League campaign on a high and beat Tianjin Teda.

The Mariners have struggled in Asia’s premier club competition, taking just two points from five matches, and McKinna understands how important it is to experience a victory prior to their pre-season for the 2009/10 A-League season.

"It’s a very important game for us to win," said McKinna.

"We’ve been on a bad run and have been unfortunate in a few games, so there’s a big push for us to win the game and end the season on a high before having a break and coming back for the new Hyundai A-League season.

"The boys are hungry for a victory and we’re looking forward to the game.

"We keep getting reminded that we’ve not won this year and we’ve come close a few times – the main thing is to get a victory tomorrow night," he added.

"We’re playing for pride now, we hope that everyone will perform the best that they can for themselves, for the club and for the supporters, that’s the main thing."

The Mariners take on Chinese club Tianjin Teda at Central Coast Stadium, tonight Tuesday May 19 at 8pm.