CENTRAL Coast Mariners defeated Canberra United 2-1 in a Westfield W-League encounter at McKellar Park in the nation’s capital, despite playing almost the entire second half with only ten players.
Kyah Simon’s double, just days after arriving back in the country following her stellar contribution to Australia’s AFC Under-19 Women’s Championships qualification success, was the difference for the visitors, with Ellie Brush netting in response for the home side.
The Mariners’ second triumph of the inaugural Westfield W-League season was all the more sweeter given the adversity faced by the yellow and navy following the early second half dismissal of goalkeeper Lisa Hartley for a foul inside the penalty area.
Not only did Canberra draw level from the ensuing penalty, but the Mariners were forced into an unwelcome reshuffle that tested the resolve of a team that was ultimately immensely impressive in testing circumstances.
"We knew it was going to be tough to travel down here and play well," said Mariners Westfield W-League Head Coach Stephen Roche after the match.
"We knew it would be a midfield battle and for twenty-five minutes in the first half we ran the show and kept the ball, which was really pleasing.
"To come away with such a fantastic result is testament to the character of this playing group and needless to say, today’s performance will give us great confidence moving forward."
The first half was a relatively uneventful affair, but that was quickly forgotten early in the second stanza, when Simon’s strike handed the Mariners the lead only seconds after the break.
It was Simon’s first goal in the Westfield W-League which further built upon a hot streak of form for the 17-year-old, who last week contributed five goals to the Westfield Young Matildas’ charge towards the 2010 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup.
Almost immediately after Simon’s intervention, Mariners goalkeeper Hartley was shown a straight red card by referee Jacqui Melksham after bringing down a Canberra attacker that had been put through on goal.
Brush stroked home the resultant penalty, with midfielder Teresa Polias the outfield player sacrificed to hand substitute goalkeeper Emma-Kate Dewhurst her first appearance in Mariners colours.
Against all odds, Simon sealed an unlikely three points for the Mariners with 17 minutes still to play when unleashing a left-footed effort from considerable distance that Canberra custodian Lydia Williams was helpless to prevent.
The Mariners’ win sees them placed equal first on the Westfield W-League table after three rounds, having recorded an impressive two wins from three starts – today’s triumph in Canberra surely the sweetest triumph to date.
"At half time, we said that we needed to graft this out, we needed to chase everything and that’s exactly where our first goal came from," said Roche.
"Kyah’s second goal was a very sweet strike and particularly in the last ten minutes, we needed to show all of our resolve and character to hang on to the result in front of a very boisterous crowd."
The Mariners’ second triumph of the inaugural Westfield W-League season was all the more sweeter given the adversity faced by the yellow and navy following the early second half dismissal of goalkeeper Lisa Hartley for a foul inside the penalty area.
Not only did Canberra draw level from the ensuing penalty, but the Mariners were forced into an unwelcome reshuffle that tested the resolve of a team that was ultimately immensely impressive in testing circumstances.
"We knew it was going to be tough to travel down here and play well," said Mariners Westfield W-League Head Coach Stephen Roche after the match.
"We knew it would be a midfield battle and for twenty-five minutes in the first half we ran the show and kept the ball, which was really pleasing.
"To come away with such a fantastic result is testament to the character of this playing group and needless to say, today’s performance will give us great confidence moving forward."
The first half was a relatively uneventful affair, but that was quickly forgotten early in the second stanza, when Simon’s strike handed the Mariners the lead only seconds after the break.
It was Simon’s first goal in the Westfield W-League which further built upon a hot streak of form for the 17-year-old, who last week contributed five goals to the Westfield Young Matildas’ charge towards the 2010 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup.
Almost immediately after Simon’s intervention, Mariners goalkeeper Hartley was shown a straight red card by referee Jacqui Melksham after bringing down a Canberra attacker that had been put through on goal.
Brush stroked home the resultant penalty, with midfielder Teresa Polias the outfield player sacrificed to hand substitute goalkeeper Emma-Kate Dewhurst her first appearance in Mariners colours.
Against all odds, Simon sealed an unlikely three points for the Mariners with 17 minutes still to play when unleashing a left-footed effort from considerable distance that Canberra custodian Lydia Williams was helpless to prevent.
The Mariners’ win sees them placed equal first on the Westfield W-League table after three rounds, having recorded an impressive two wins from three starts – today’s triumph in Canberra surely the sweetest triumph to date.
"At half time, we said that we needed to graft this out, we needed to chase everything and that’s exactly where our first goal came from," said Roche.
"Kyah’s second goal was a very sweet strike and particularly in the last ten minutes, we needed to show all of our resolve and character to hang on to the result in front of a very boisterous crowd."
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