SYDNEY FC coach Ian Crook was forced to apologise to the Sky Blues' supporters who made the long trip to the Central Coast after one of the most miserable nights in the club's history.

A humbling 7-2 loss against the Mariners last night at Bluetongue Stadium has left his side reeling and taken much of the gloss away from Alessandro Del Piero's arrival in the A-League.

They will face a week of soul-searching before taking on a desperate Melbourne Victory next weekend.

At least the Italian marquee man was spared the embarrassment as he was rested because of a hamstring injury that has dogged Del Piero for a few weeks.

Central Coast hammer Sydney FC

Sydney's players reacted with shock and tears after being torn apart by the Central Coast. Despite scoring the first goal in each half, they only managed to concede a bucketload in return.

It was Sydney's worst loss for goals conceded, the margin as bad as a 5-0 loss to Melbourne Victory in 2005.

"We need to apologise to our supporters, who have been great all year and came up here in their numbers," Crook said last night.

"To see us beaten 7-2 like that - it's even hard to say - was not what they deserved. It wasn't for lack of belief or trying.

"It's the easy thing to say when you get beat, that there was no heart.

"I disagree with that. I just felt a good Mariners side punished us tonight."

Gallery: Mariners in seventh heaven

Though Sydney were missing several first-choice players in addition to Del Piero, there was still a disturbing disintegration to their shape in the second half.

Crook said the missing players were not a shield to shelter behind.

"We've had bodies missing in the past couple of weeks and found a way to win the game, so I don't want to use that as an excuse," he said. "Overall, for me, that's why the Mariners are the best side in the competition, they do punish you.

"The players are gutted, we all are.

"It feels like the end of the world, but we have to pick ourselves up, and go towards next week."

media_camera Daniel McBreen scored a hat-trick for the Mariners.

Mariners boss Graham Arnold watched Daniel McBreen score the Mariners' first hat-trick and admitted his side "started slow and sloppy".

However, Arnold also said he had felt such a performance was imminent in the way the side trained during the week.

"The goal we conceded was a kick up the backside, and it was a wonderful performance to put on," Arnold said.

"The way they trained on Thursday was as good as anything in my time at the club, and tonight the players have set their standard.

"There's a long way to go and we won't get carried away, but this is a performance to enjoy.

"Of course Sydney had a number of players out through injury, and no Del Piero, but I said to the boys that it's what we've got and our plan that's important to us.

"We've tried to make Bluetongue into a fortress, and I'd appeal to the supporters who came tonight to come back in similar numbers."