Central Coast Mariners 1-1 Western United
By Emma Burke 28/3/24
Above: Peta Trimis for Central Coast Mariners. Photo: A-Leagues
Two late goals to each side have seen Central Coast Mariners and Western United FC split the points after their one all draw in Gosford for the first game of the final round.
It was Central Coast who opened the scoring, gifted their goal scored by their academy graduate Annalise Rasmussen who had been subbed on only 10 minutes prior to scoring.
Western United defender Stacey Papadopoulos made a mistake when making a back-pass to her keeper, that she knew almost immediately was going to brutal the moment it left her foot, seen as she put her hands on her head in despair while Rasmussen ran onto the errant ball and calmly slotted the ball into the net, while Papadopoulos sank to her knees.
Despite this gift, the Mariners were unable to make much use of it as they conceded a goal only 11 minutes later.
Another substitute, this time in the form of Western United’s Kiara de Domizio, timed her run perfectly to stay onside for Jaclyn Sawicki’s through ball, took her chance on goal, unperturbed by her defender.
The shot from de Domizio arced up and over the leap of Mariners’ keeper Sarah Langman, and found the back of the net at the far side.
De Domizio’s goal was her first of her A-League’s tenure, and celebrated by her family in the stands who rushed to the barrier with homemade signs and club flags to show their appreciation.
By splitting the points, both teams remain in their prior ladder positions, Western United in third, and Central Coast Mariners in fourth respectively, although Western Sydney could theoretically leapfrog both with a win against Wellington.
This still locks both clubs into finals football, making this Westerns second finals appearance in as many years, and technically, back-to-back finals appearances for Central Coast considering they made a feature in their second and final season in 2009, when the A-League Women was known as the W-League.
Central Coast Mariners (3-4-3): Langman, Karambasis, Jackmon, Martin, Bryson, Gaelic, Gomez, Hayward, Badawiya, Simon, Trimis Substitutes: Dumont, Karrys-Stahl, Nenadovic, Wurigumula, Rasmussen
Western United FC (4-2-3-1): Dall’Oste, Vlajnic, Cerne, Maher, Papadopoulos, Sawicki, Taranto, Medwin, Prakash, Johnston, Hieda Substitutes: Larsen, Richards, Sardo, Robers, de Domizio
Referee: Rebecca Durcau.
Attendance: 1,529.
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