Mariners women dominate, men left frustrated in F3 Derby thriller

Industree Group Stadium played host to an action-packed F3 Derby on Saturday, February 1, with 10 goals shared across two fiery encounters.

While the Central Coast Mariners Women continued their winning streak with a commanding 5-1 victory over the Newcastle Jets, the Men’s side were left ruing a two-goal lead as the visitors fought back to snatch a 2-2 draw.

Women’s A-League: Mariners 5-1 Jets

Coach Emily Husband’s side put on a clinical display, dismantling the Jets and ensuring the F3 Guard Rail trophy remains on the Coast for another year.

Jess Seaman made her club debut in the starting eleven, while 16-year-old Tiana Fuller continued her rise with back-to-back starts.

Sarah Langman was called into action early, producing a crucial save in the seventh minute before the Mariners immediately countered, with Brooke Nunn netting her second of the season.

The Jets briefly levelled on 30 minutes, but Bianca Galic quickly restored the lead, finishing coolly after Fuller forced a mistake from the Newcastle goalkeeper.

The second half was all Mariners, with Fuller getting her own goal in the 49th minute before Annabel Pennock made it 4-1 just four minutes later.

Substitute Peta Trimis capped off a stunning performance with a goal in added time, wrapping up a dominant display in front of a happy home crowd.

Men’s A-League: Mariners 2-2 Jets

The Mariners Men looked on course for victory but were ultimately left frustrated as Newcastle staged a late comeback to earn their first point in Gosford since 2022.

Dylan Peraic-Cullen was called into action early, making key saves from Thomas Aquilina and Clayton Taylor, while Daniel Wilmering squandered a golden chance for the visitors.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 33rd minute, with Nathan Paull bagging his second goal of the season after some fine work from Christian Theoharous.

Early in the second half, Abdul Faisal marked his home debut in style, outpacing his marker before firing home to give the Mariners a 2-0 lead.

However, Newcastle responded, with substitute Lachie Rose poking home from a goalmouth scramble before Mark Natta headed in a late corner to steal a share of the points.

With the result, the Mariners remain undefeated across four matches, though the Women’s side continues to surge ahead while the Men sit in limbo with three consecutive draws.

With a crucial run of fixtures ahead, both squads will be looking to build on their momentum and solidify their positions in their competitions.

The men now face a tough challenge to get into the finals series.