Mariners Women qualify for grand final after extra-time thriller

The Central Coast Mariners women have secured a place in the A-League Women’s Grand Final for the first time in club history, following a dramatic 1-0 extra-time win over Melbourne City on Saturday.

The result, played out in front of a vocal crowd at Melbourne’s ctrl:cyber Stadium, sees the Mariners take the two-leg semi-final 3-2 on aggregate and sets up a blockbuster Grand Final clash with Melbourne Victory on Sunday, May 18, at AAMI Park.

The match was filled with drama from the opening whistle.

Melbourne City’s star striker Holly McNamara was forced off injured inside 20 minutes, and minutes later her teammate Lourdes Bosch was shown a straight red card after an off-the-ball incident involving Mariners forward Brooke Nunn.

Despite being a player down, City defended resolutely for much of the game, with neither side able to find the net in regular time.

With penalties looming, Mariners midfielder Isabel Gomez emerged the hero, lobbing the goalkeeper in the 121st minute after a clever assist from substitute Peta Trimis.

While City protested for offside, the goal stood, sending the travelling Mariners players and supporters into celebration.

“This team just doesn’t stop fighting,” said head coach Emily Husband after the match.

“We’ve built something special, and now we’ve got one more challenge ahead.

The result is all the more remarkable considering the Mariners only rejoined the A-League Women’s competition this season after more than a decade’s absence.

With a chance to cap their return with championship glory, the yellow and navy will now prepare for next Sunday’s Grand Final against Melbourne Victory, a side they’ve bested once and drawn once in the regular season.

Tickets are on sale now for the Grand Final at AAMI Park, and fans on the Coast are being urged to make the trip south or tune in to CoastFM and support a team that has made the entire Central Coast proud.

Grand Final Info

Sunday, May 18

AAMI Park, Melbourne