Mariners Snap Winless Streak in Impressive Fashion with Crucial Triumph over Top Six Contenders

The Central Coast Mariners have put an end to their five-match winless streak at the perfect moment, securing a vital 2-0 away victory against Wellington Phoenix, which significantly enhances their prospects for finals football.

Although Wellington dominated possession for large parts of the first half, it was the Mariners who opened the scoring; Annalise Rasmussen converted a penalty just before half-time after being fouled in the box.

Not long into the second half, the Mariners doubled their advantage with a stunning half-volley from midfielder Isabel Gomez, who netted the team’s second goal in the 52nd minute.

The home side enjoyed the majority of possession but struggled to threaten Sarah Langman in the Mariners’ goal, as the visitors left Porirua Park with three crucial points in their chase for a top six finish.

This result sees Wellington Phoenix sitting in eighth place on the ladder, now two points adrift of the top six.

For the away side, Emily Husband’s group ended their five-match winless run at an opportune time, climbing into fifth position and four points clear of seventh-placed Canberra United.

The home team started strongly but had little to show for their dominance, nearly conceding in the 31st minute.

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Positioned on the edge of the area, Isabel Gomez reacted swiftly to a loose ball following a Mariners corner, but her half-volley struck the crossbar before Wellington keeper Carolina Vilao could intervene.

As the Mariners grew into the match, they capitalised on Wellington’s lack of attacking edge, snatching the lead just before the interval.

Peta Trimis met a deep ball into the box from Sarah Rowe, her header hitting the bar, before Rasmussen fell in the box while trying to score from the rebound, prompting referee Georgia Ghirardello to award a penalty.

Despite appearing a bit unsteady as she rose to her feet, Rasmussen expertly converted the spot-kick, placing the ball past Vilao into the net, giving the Mariners a potentially crucial lead at half-time.

A well-placed ball into the box from Taylor Ray was headed clear by the Phoenix defence, but it only fell to Gomez, who was again positioned on the edge of the area; this time her half-volley sailed past Vilao to make it 2-0.

Wellington controlled possession in a manner similar to the first half, yet struggled to trouble Langman, who was making her 100th appearance in the Ninja A-League.

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Despite generating 36 touches in the opposition box compared to the Mariners’ 13, Wellington remained relatively ineffective until stoppage time.

In a desperate bid to secure a point, the home side pushed forward aggressively, but when Langman was called into action, she made a spectacular diving save to tip Manaia Elliott’s powerful shot over the crossbar.