Central Coast Mariners are into their first ever Ninja A-League Grand Final after upsetting an unbeaten Melbourne City side 1-0 (3-2 on agg) and it was a key tactical change made by head coach Emily Husband that made all the difference.
Despite the second leg of their semi-final with City being beautifully poised at 2-2, the Mariners were certainly the underdogs heading into the clash at ctrl:cyber Pitch on Sunday afternoon.
CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR TICKETS TO THE NINJA A-LEAGUE GRAND FINAL
Predicting to see little of the ball and expecting the Premiers to dominate possession, the script was flipped after just 25 minutes in Melbourne when City winger Lourdes Bosch was shown a straight red card for lashing out at Mariners attacker Brooke Nunn during a flashpoint on the sidelines.
MATCH REPORT: MARINERS MAYHEM! Central Coast STUN unbeaten Premiers with last-gasp goal to reach Grand Final
With chances at a premium for both sides as City sat deep and the Mariners probed for a way through, Husband then pulled off what would prove to be a coaching masterstroke in the 58th minute.
In a double change, the Mariners boss brought on captain Taren King at the expense of right back Sarah Rowe and deployed her skipper at the heart of the defence, thus shifting Taylor Ray to the right hand-side.
However the second part of the double change would prove to be key in helping her team clinch their spot in the Grand Final.
MUST READ: Melbourne Victory to host Central Coast Mariners in Ninja A-League Grand Final: Details
Bringing on substitute Tess Quilligan in place of fellow midfielder Greta Kraszula, Husband’s tactical tweak saw Quilligan operate in a deeper role to control the tempo of the game and therefore release midfield dynamo Isabel Gomez to roam further forward.
“Tess is phenomenal on the ball,” said Husband at full time when asked by Network 10 commentator Teo Pellizzeri about the inspired substitution. “That’s one of her biggest qualities.
“She’s so good, she’s able to connect anything, and technically, she’s so clean. So this is the type of game that suits her really well when we have time on the ball.
She added: “So for me, we knew that immediately when the game changed, that was one of the changes we needed to make.”
No stranger to the talents of Quilligan, Husband coached the 20-year-old during her time as head coach of Sydney University before then handing her a contract back in October 2024.
Officially named the Player of the Match, game-winner Gomez was at her instrumental best for the Mariners on Sunday afternoon, winning more duels than any other player on the pitch whilst also making nine recoveries during the 120 minutes.
“Oh look, she’s not somebody who often takes credit,” said Husband when asked about the performance of match-winner Gomez.
“She’s really hard on herself. She always wants to know how to improve. She’s always battling to be better, and it’s evident on the pitch as well.
“She’s disappointed in herself if she gives the ball away. She’s disappointed when she doesn’t quite time a challenge right. So for me to work with her, sometimes it’s about actually just instilling a bit confidence in her and telling her how great she can be.
“Because you see week in, week out, she can be an absolute game changer.”
