Central Coast Mariners 3-2 Brisbane Roar
by Ben Gilby (31/12/25)
Above: Isabella Coco-di Sipio (left) celebrates Central Coast Mariners’ opening goal against Brisbane Roar today. Photo: A-Leagues.
Goals either side of half-time by Annalise Rasmussen ensured that Central Coast Mariners came from behind to defeat Brisbane Roar at polytec Stadium today and move up to third on the ladder – just three points behind leaders Canberra United.
It was another Holiday thriller in the A-League Women – a competition that has delivered goals and drama in spades over the past eight days.
The game see-sawed magnificently. After Isabella Coco-di Sipio’s early strike for the home side, Roar hit back with two goals in five minutes from Grace Kuilamu and Sharn Freier before Rasmussen’s sensational intervention.
Mariners came into this game after blowing a 2-0 lead to Melbourne Victory on Saturday, conceding three goals in as many minutes in stoppage time at the end of the game. Head coach Kory Babington made one change to his starting line-up, with Western Australian Baxter Thew coming into defence for Elizabeth Barwick-Grey.
Brisbane Roar were in action for the first time since 13th December, and head coach Alex Smith named the same starting line-up that suffered a 3-0 defeat to Newcastle Jets in that encounter.
The match started with a bang, and with three minutes played, Annabel Martin’s throw on the right, just parallel with the 18-yard box found Peta Trimis, who made a clever run unseen by the Roar defence which allowed her to get a low ball across from the by-line. Momo Hayashi could not clear, and in came Isabella Coco-di Sipio to smash home at the second attempt.
Brisbane levelled with 13 minutes on the clock, Kiera Meyers beat Lauena Baumann along the right and let fly with a rocket that was repelled with a spectacular diving parry from Annalee Grove, but the ball fell perfectly for Kuilamu to turn into the net on the half-volley from close range.
Five minutes later, Meyers was influential again along the same flank as she fed Ashlyn Miller outside her. The defender lifted a high cross into the six yard-box where Matildas star Sharn Freier got up highest against Martin and Thew to head in off the post.
Roar were then hit with a major blow as Kuilamu suffered what appeared to be an injury to her left knee. It would result in a significant amount of stoppage time at the end of the first half, and the Mariners would make the visitors suffer again.
Nine minutes into that added time, the home side were awarded a free-kick when Kijah Stephenson was adjudged to have fouled Izzy Gomez a third of the way into the Roar half, on the right. Martin’s lofted set piece caused chaos in the Brisbane box as Chloe Lincoln missed her punch and defender Hayashi could only direct the ball up for Rasmussen to head home.
Then, 10 minutes into the second half came the ultimately deciding moment. Trimis slotted a perfectly weighted ball to Gomez in the middle of the park, she in turn played a delightful first time pass into the feet of Rasmussen into space. The attacker took a touch and calmly placed the ball into the net.
Whatever Roar tried, they could not find a way back into the encounter, and this costly defeat against a top six rival, along with the injury to Kuilamu means Alex Smith has a lot to think about before Saturday’s home game with red hot Wellington Phoenix.
The Mariners face an intriguing trip to Adelaide United a day later. On paper, it’s a winnable match, but if the South Australians can build on their impressive demolition of Western Sydney Wanderers in last weekend’s battle of the bottom two, then we could be in for another classic.
Teams: CENTRAL COAST MARINERS (4-3-3): Grove, Martin, Thew, King, Baumann, Quilligan, Kraszula, Gomez, Trimis, Rasmussen, Coco-di Sipio. Substitutes: Buchanan, Farrow, Fuller, Hughes, Levin, S.Varley.
Scorers: Coco-di Sipio 3, Rasmussen 45+9′, 55′.
BRISBANE ROAR (4-1-4-1): Lincoln, Medwin, L.Varley, Hayashi, Miller, Woods, Freier, Stephenson, Jansson, Meyers, Kuilamu. Substitutes: Brown, Franco, Kruger, Piazzi, Seidl, Struder.
Scorers: Kuilamu 13′, Freier 15′.
Referee: Mikayla Ryan.
Attendance: TBC.
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