The Central Coast Mariners’ Westfield W-League campaign is all but over following yesterday’s 2-0 defeat at the hands of the table topping Queensland Roar at Ballymore Stadium.
The Central Coast Mariners- Westfield W-League campaign is all but over following yesterday-s 2-0 defeat at the hands of the table topping Queensland Roar at Ballymore Stadium.
Goals from Courtney Beutel and Lana Harch sunk the visiting Mariners early in the second half, leaving the yellow and navy with a tough task to qualify for the four-team Finals Series and keep alive their hopes of Westfield W-League silverware.
The visiting Mariners were faced with a mammoth task from the outset, with Queensland having suffered just one defeat throughout the Westfield W-League season to date and trouncing the Mariners 5-0 earlier in the campaign.
Though the Mariners gave a much better account of themselves on this occasion and kept their highly rated opponents scoreless throughout the first half, they were ultimately unable to take any points from a match that may well have confirmed that the Mariners will miss qualification for the inaugural Westfield W-League Finals Series.
With just one round left to play, the Mariners will require a win over their next opponents, the Melbourne Victory, by a five-goal margin and hope that Sydney FC and the Perth Glory fail to beat Adelaide United and the Newcastle Jets respectively.
“All of our players played really well, but Queensland are a quality side,” said Mariners Westfield W-League Head Coach Stephen Roche after the match.
“It was pretty much end to end in the first half, we came out motivated and then again in the second half as we knew that our season depended on the result.
“For a young side, we-ve fixed things every week and we-ve got better and better, it-s just inconsistencies and little lapses that have cost us.
“All is not lost though and we-ve had a look at the results from yesterday and mathematically we can still qualify, which gives us something to aim for next Saturday.”
The Mariners- inaugural Westfield W-League campaign concludes at Parramatta Stadium on Saturday, 27 December against the Melbourne Victory. Kick off is at 4pm and admission is free.
Match Details
Central Coast Mariners 1. Emma-Kate Dewhurst (gk), 2. Caitlin Cooper, 3. Lyndsay Glohe, 4. Rachael Doyle (15. Elizabeth O-Reilly 59-), 5. Jodie Bain, 6. Karina Roweth (12. Gill Foster 79-), 7. Teresa Polias (18. Emma Stewart 64-), 8. Renee Rollason, 10. Kyah Simon, 13. Trudy Camilleri, 23. Jenna Kingsley
Unused Subs 20. Lisa Hartley (gk)
Yellow Cards None
Red Cards None
Goals None
Queensland Roar 1. Casey Dumont (gk), 3. Karla Reuter, 4. Clare Polkinghorne, 5. Brooke Spence, 8. Elise Kellond-Knight, 9. Alicia Ferguson (15. Stephanie Latham 72-), 10. Lana Harch, 13. Tameka Butt (14. Vedrana Popovic 61-), 16. Lauren Colthorpe, 18. Courtney Beutel (11. Ruth Blackburn 72-), 19. Ellen Beaumont
Unused Subs 20. Lara Boon (gk)
Yellow Cards None
Red Cards None
Goals Beutel 51-, Harch 57-
Referee Prue Donohoe
