Sydney FC and Central Coast Mariners shared the spoils in a goalless 0-0 draw between the two sides at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday evening.
The Mariners dominated the first half but couldn’t capitalise on their ascendancy, with Sydney keeper Brianna Edwards producing a string of big saves to keep her side in the contest.
There was plenty of bite in the tightly-contested fixture as two committed teams scrapped to gain ascendancy in the Round 12 fixture but after four added minutes, there was nothing to separate the sides as the final whistle confirmed one point apiece to the Sky Blues and Mariners.
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Central Coast should’ve opened the scoring just three minutes into the game when a save from Brianna Edwards spilled to Annalise Rasmussen inside the six-yard box – but Edwards’ reacted quickly to make a second stop, and then a third as the hosts clung on for dear life amid a flurry of Central Coast pressure.
Down the other end, Sydney defender Tori Tumeth rattled the crossbar with a bullet strike from just inside the box. It was an attempt that would’ve snuck under the crossbar if not for a fingertip save from Sarah Langman.
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The first half ended goalless but the Mariners were well on top in several statistical categories, taking 11 shots to Sydney’s two and claiming 61% of possession up to half-time.
Central Coast continued their search for an opening goal after the break and young winger Peta Trimis threatened to find the all-important first goal of the game with a low strike toward the bottom-left corner that called Edwards into yet another save.
Mariners defender Annabel Martin lobbed a long-range free-kick just over the crossbar in the 56th minute, and soon after Sydney midfielder Lucy Johnson fired wide from a similar distance but neither player found the quality needed to break the deadlock.
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After 77 minutes, Trimis received another half chance when Bianca Galic won a duel with Sydney centre-back Nat Tobin and sent a dangerous cross toward the back post; Trimis rose to meet the ball but angled her header wide of the mark as Sydney survived another scare from the Mariners.
Then, in the final minute of added time, one last big chance fell to the Sky Blues and teenager substitute Amber Luchtmeijer, who gained possession in the box and cut around her marker but fired her shot straight at Langman who made a comfortable save to ensure neither time emerged from the game victorious.