Central Coast Mariners are back in the finals places after seeing off lowly Western Sydney Wanderers 3-1 in the Ninja A-League on Sunday.
First-half goals from Brooke Nunn and Tess Quilligan and Bianca Galic’s second-half penalty inspired the Mariners away to Western Sydney at Wanderers Football Park.
Nunn’s maiden A-Leagues goal in the 10th minute set the tone before Quilligan doubled the lead with the first of her own 13 minutes later in Western Sydney, where kick-off was delayed an hour due to lightning in the area.
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Wanderers did pull a goal back in the 93rd minute via Olivia Price was it was too little, too late.
With their first win in two matches, the Mariners climbed up to sixth in the standings – leapfrogging Western United and Canberra United, while Western Sydney dropped to the bottom of the standings in their first match since Robbie Hooker’s departure.
When the game did eventually get underway, the Mariners dominated and broke the deadlock in the 10th minute.
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Nunn was gifted her first A-Leagues goal as Western Sydney tried to play out from a goal-kick but Keeley Segavcic’s attempted pass across the six-yard box was deflected off the Englishwoman and into the back of the net.
It got better for the visiting Mariners in the 23rd minute. Quilligan riffled a shot into the back of the net after her initial effort was blocked.
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Central Coast put the result virtually beyond doubt with 21 minutes remaining after Wanderers captain Amy Harrison was penalised for a foul inside the box.
Galic stepped up to convert the penalty – her second goal of the season and first since November.
Central Coast missed out on a clean sheet after Price found the back of the net at the death.
