Mark Bosnich saved a penalty and kept a clean sheet in a spectacular comeback to football today, six years after the drug-fuelled collapse of his career in England's Premier League.
Bosnich, now 36, played a major role in Central Coast's 3-0 win over Sydney in an Australian A-League pre-season cup match at Gosford in New South Wales state.
The former Aston Villa, Manchester United and Chelsea 'keeper was cheered loudly by more than 7,000 spectators as he made several spectacular saves in the match at rainy Bluetongue Stadium.
The match was Bosnich's first on Australian soil since 1999 and his first Australian club match for 20 years.
After a quiet start, the former Australia international had the chance to show he had lost little of his agility when he tipped a powerful shot over the crossbar in the 28-minute.
In the second half, he produced a similarly spectacular save from a curling Mitchell Prentice shot and capped a flawless debut for Central Coast with a 59th-minute penalty save from a Steve Corica spotkick.
The performance boosted Bosnich's chances of winning a longer-term contract with Central Coast, where he is on trial.
Mariners coach Lawrie McKinna said before the match he was ready to hand a lifeline to Bosnich who's brilliant Premier League career crashed amid drug abuse, depression and tawdry tabloid tales of video sex romps.
Bosnich said the match would give him a reference point to determine how his comeback was progressing.
"I'm under no illusions here," he said.
"I'm here on trial. Forget past reputations, I have to perform."
The Mariners have a medium-term vacancy due to the suspension of first-choice goalkeeper Danny Vukovic until October for hitting the referee in last year's grand final.
