Central Coast Mariners 1-2 Western Sydney Wanderers
By Alice de Koster-Kitto 28/2/25
Above: The Wanderers celebrate the winning goal. Photo: Western Sydney Wanderers
Western Sydney Wanderers have asserted their dominance against Central Coast Mariners at Industree Group Stadium this afternoon. The Wanderers quickly responded to what initially looked to be a 1-0 win for the Mariners for a majority of the match, as they left the impeccable Central Coast defense shaken.
The match was set to be a combative one, with a tough battle in the midfield, kicking off what would be a long drawn-out, and often hostile meeting.
A pass from Cushla Rue, gave Talia Younis the first chance of the match, and despite not being able to get the footing quite right for a shot on target, the chance put Western Sydney in early dominance.
Central Coast were quick to respond when a right-footed shot from Annelise Rassmussen was saved in the top corner by Wanderers keeper Sham Khamis. The strike would be the first of many for Rassmussen, as the momentum shifted in favor of the Mariners, as they took the dominance from a perhaps overly confident Wanderers side.
The contention continued through the first half although it became evident that if a goal were to come before the break, that it would be from the hosts, despite the adversity within the squad in recent weeks. The Mariners have had to reshuffle their squad due to injury, with key players out of regular position, including central midfielder Taylor Ray, taking over as center back. The squad’s resilience, and ability to remain one of the more threatening sides in the league this season, is a testament to the strength both on and off the pitch and has proven to be an invaluable asset over what has been a fantastic campaign thus far.
Danika Matos took a shot from a dangerous angle, adding an element of risk to the Wanderers’ tactics that hadn’t yet been seen in this match, but could very well be crucial as the first half came to a close. One of what would be many wonderful saves from Sarah Willacy kept the ball out of the net, and the match scoreless.
The match became increasingly unpredictable, yet somewhat stagnant, with shots back and forth and the continued tension in the midfield, the constant switching of dominance, and quick responses made it impossible to tell who the opening goal would come from if one was to come at all.
An excellent shot from Izzy Gomez, put the Central Coast Mariners dangerously close to opening the scoring. Though the strike was slightly wide, it restored some of the lost energy in the Mariners side and would have undoubtedly instilled confidence in Gomez, who is returning to form following an injury at the end of 2024.
Despite a wealth of attacking intent and five added minutes, the match was left at a stalemate at the break.
The top of the second half saw Central Coast’s Brooke Nunn, within shooting distance as she attempted to pass the ball to Izzy Gomez, whom she could not quite reach. The futile attempt marked what would be the start of an uncharacteristically shaky second half for the Mariners, as they could have quite easily found the match’s opening goal, had Nunn not shied away from the shot.
Central Coast Mariners opened the scoring in the 68th minute, when a smart pass from Tess Quilligan, allowed Izzy Gomez to get in front of the Wanderers defense, and strike the ball to the back of the net, marking her third goal of the campaign, and first since returning from a knee injury.
Tiana Fuller came close to extending the Mariners lead just minutes later, however, the strike, assisted by Jade Pennock, was saved in the top left corner.
Although taking the lead, the Mariners continued to appear quite unsure of themselves as stoppage time approached, giving away the ball in dangerous areas, displaying an unusual weakness in what is usually an almost foolproof defense.
Western Sydney took full advantage of their opponents’ disarray, as Liv Price netted the equaliser, extending her wonderful history in this meeting, having now scored both home and away against the Mariners.
The visitors almost immediately searched to extend their lead, not wanting to share the points, and although Central Coast did make a few good attempts in response, they faced even further adversity, temporarily playing with just 10 on the pitch, as goal scorer Izzy Gomez was treated for injury.
During six minutes of added time, the tension was built back up to a similar momentum that was seen at the top of the match, with the Mariners trying to reassert their dominance and take back their lead.
Despite their efforts, it was Western Sydney Wanderers who found the winning goal, when an unexpected miss of the ball from Jessika Nah, allowed a strike from Holly Caspers to roll over the line, unable to be stopped by the Mariners’ defense. Casper’s goal led the Wanderers to a 2-1 victory, marking their 3rd consecutive win, and extending what has been an excellent past few rounds.
Round 18 of the Ninja A-League will see Central Coast Mariners head on the road to Coopers Stadium as they face Adelaide United, who currently sit 3rd on the ladder, as they try to maintain their position in the top 6.
Meanwhile, Western Sydney Wanderers will take on Wellington Phoenix at Porirua Park, where the match will be anyone’s game, as the two sides currently sit just one place apart on the ladder.
Teams: CENTRAL COAST MARINERS (4-2-2-2): Langman, Nash, Martin, Gomez, Pennock, Ray, Rasmussen, Rowe, Quilligan, Nunn, Trimis Substitutions: Carmichael, Fuller, Kraszula, McMahon, Hughes
Scorers: Gomez 68’
WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS (4-3-3): Khamis, Buchanan, McComasky, Harrison, Matos, Harads, Chessari, Price, Rue, Younis, Trew Substitutes: Bennett, Saveksa, Kapetanellis, Caspers, Segavcic
Scorers: Price 80’, Caspers 90+3’
Referee: Isabella Mossin
Attendance: 1,346.
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