A Michelle Heyman-inspired Central Coast Mariners have kicked off their Westfield W-League season with a 3-1 win over Sydney FC at the SFS on Monday.
Two superb goals to the Mariners striker and a classy assist in the final minutes were enough to see off the home side in an entertaining encounter.
Heyman, a former Sydney FC player, began the scoring with a beautifully taken header after 12 minutes.
Matilda Sarah Walsh got the Sky Blue girls back on track with a well-taken strike 60 seconds after the restart before Heyman dragged the Coast back into the contest with two moments of brilliance.
She bagged the goal of the game on 63 minutes with some sublime individual skill.
Cleverly out-muscling the FC defence from 30m out she calmly strode into the box and slotted home under Nikola Deiter’s outstretched hands.
And in time added on, it was Heyman’s set up play on the edge of the box that released livewire Kelly Golebiowski to finish off the game with another quality finish.
In overcast conditions, it was the Mariners who had the better of the first half. They were first to the ball and inventive in the middle of the park with pocket rocket Teresa Polias and Lydia Vandenburgh working hard in midfield.
Sydney coach Alen Stajic must have had some harsh words to say at half-time because the home side came out firing in the second stanza.
Walsh’s goal inspired Sydney and it looked to have the momentum until Heyman’s moment of brilliance stemmed the tide.
Despite a glut of possession and shots on goal the home side were unable to find the net in the latter stages with Golebiowski crowning a wonderful day for the Central Coast women in time added on.
Sydney FC 1(Walsh 46)
Central Coast Mariners 3 (12, 63 Heyman, 90+1 Golebiowski)
