Isabel Gomez spearheads upset A-League Women's championship win after Matildas call-up
Central Coast have completed their A-League Women championship fairytale with Isabel Gomez the hero in an upset win on penalties over Melbourne Victory in the grand final.
The Mariners, in just their second year back in the competition after a 14-year hiatus, pulled off a stunning underdog story, winning 5-4 on penalties after scores were locked at 1-1 following extra-time.
Injured Matildas captain Sam Kerr was among the 6,568 on hand at AAMI Park for the enthralling contest.
Seven days after scoring a controversial semi-final winner against Melbourne City, Gomez pounced on a calamitous moment at the back from Victory's Claudia Bunge in the 46th minute to score.
Bunge headed home the equaliser from a corner in the 80th minute, forcing the game to extra-time.
Victory were in disbelief when Mariners defender Taylor Ray wasn't penalised for a clear handball in the box in the 93rd minute, while Sarah Langman made a brilliant save to deny Emily Gielnik a minute later.
The Mariners withstood wave after wave of attacks from Victory - who had 30 shots to Central Coast's 15 - to take the ALW decider to spot-kicks for the first time.
After Victory's Alana Jancevski hit the crossbar with the opening penalty, Central Coast nailed every spot-kick, including Gomez's sneaking in after she slipped while taking it.
Bianca Galic converted the winner to send the Mariners into ecstasy.
The triumph completes Central Coast's dramatic run from fourth place, beating Canberra United, Melbourne City and Victory along the way.
'We know there's a lot of critics that didn't have us achieving much or making finals this year and we won out,' captain Taren King said on the podium.
'Today was our last push and we made it happen.'
Second-year coach Emily Husband earned her first trophy, denying Victory counterpart Jeff Hopkins a record fifth championship.
Husband is just the fourth female coach to win the championship after Jitka Klimkova (2012), Liesbeth Migchelsen (2014) and Jess Fishlock (2016-17, player/coach) and the first in a grand final since 2017.
The result was devastating for Victory, who also fell agonisingly short in the premiership, won by Melbourne City.
Gomez, 22, fresh off a Matildas call-up, was outstanding throughout, consistently driving forward and winning fouls while doing the dirty work in defence.
King, Jessika Nash and Annabel Martin brilliantly kept Victory spearhead Gielnik quiet.
Gun midfielder Alana Murphy was arguably Victory's best.
Central Coast took the lead when Galic pinched the ball from Sara D'Appolonia and found Annalise Rasmussen.
The striker's shot deflected off Kayla Morrison and Bunge missed her attempted clearance, with Gomez nipping in and brilliantly chipping Courtney Newbon.
Victory's equaliser arrived when Murphy whipped in a corner met by Bunge, and Martin couldn't stop the ball crossing the line.
Morrison pulled off an extraordinary game-saving challenge on Rasmussen in injury time to ensure the match went to extra-time.
Victory peppered the Mariners' goal time and again but couldn't break through.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
10 hours ago
- Perth Now
Luck of the Irish
Rockingham Mandurah will have the luck of the Irish on their side when they chase Premier Cricket glory next summer. The Mariners have announced Irish-born batter Luke Horgan to bolster their line-up as they attempt to build further on last season's success, when they won a first round final and finished in the top four of WA's district cricket competition. Horgan, 22, this week told Mandurah Times he had always wanted to test his skills on Australian wickets and was looking forward to joining the Mariners at Lark Hill when the season starts in October. Your local paper, whenever you want it. 'A few of my mates have been over to Perth to play cricket and have some great stories and have said how much fun it is,' he said. 'Once I came over to the east coast for a few weeks for the Christmas and New Year period in 2016-17 on a family holiday, but I have never been to Perth. 'Everyone keeps saying how Perth has the best beaches in the world, so excited for that. 'I've heard the summers are hot, so I've been told to stack up on factor 50 and watch out for the heat.' The right-handed Horgan hopes to slot in anywhere in the top order for the Mariners, having opened for his university team and batted No.5 for his current club Dorridge in the Birmingham and District Premier League. He has just finished an economics degree in Nottingham and said it was a quick and easy decision to spend summer in Perth once Rockingham Mandurah had reached out. 'I have always wanted to come out for a season after finishing studies,' he said. 'I am looking forward to making new mates and playing cricket somewhere completely different to home will be a good challenge. 'Once my agent messaged about the interest from the Mariners, I was very keen to sign so it was a pretty smooth process.' Horgan was a relatively late starter in cricket, having grown up in Cork, Ireland, where Gaelic football is king. 'I only started playing when I was 12 when I joined secondary school,' he said. 'I played a lot of rugby, football and hockey growing up and played Gaelic football during the winters at university.' Being here at the same time as the England tour for what promises to be another compelling Ashes series of Test cricket is another bonus. 'Obviously being Irish I'm probably a bit more neutral than most of the English lads coming over, but I'll definitely be trying to watch as much of it as possible,' he said. 'I'm definitely going to go to the first test in Perth and will try get over to the last two in Melbourne and Sydney but the series could well be done by then.'
Perth Now
a day ago
- Perth Now
Title-winning coach joins Matildas staff
New Matildas boss Joe Montemurro has added A-League women's championship-winning mentor Emily Husband to his coaching staff. Having led Central Coast to the 2024-25 title, Husband has parted ways with the Mariners to become a full-time assistant coach with the Matildas. She will reunite with Montemurro, with the pair having worked together in guiding the fortunes of the A-League All-Star women's team last year. 'Joe is someone I've always had enormous respect for, not just for his football brain, but for the way he leads,' Husband said. 'We've had the chance to work together before, and I'm genuinely thrilled to build on that now as we hopefully play a part in guiding the Matildas to reach greater heights.' 'To be trusted with the chance to contribute, even in a small way, to the Matildas and their future is an absolute privilege.' Emily Husband has joined the Matildas coaching staff. Supplied/White Line Credit: News Corp Australia Montemurro, whose appointment as Matildas coach was confirmed last week, said Husband was an 'astute, modern coach' who had 'proven her quality at the domestic level'. 'Her work with the Central Coast Mariners has been phenomenal and demonstrates the qualities she will bring to the Matildas,' Montemurro said. 'Emily has a deep understanding of the game, an ability to connect with players, and a fresh perspective that will be invaluable to our set-up. 'I'm looking forward to working closely with her once again.' Montemurro's first game in charge of the Matildas will be against Slovenia on June 26 at Perth's HBF Park. The teams will meet again at the same venue in June 29. The Matildas will then remain in Western Australia for matches against Panama on July 5 (Hands Oval, Bunbury) and July 8 (HBF Park).
News.com.au
a day ago
- News.com.au
Emily Husband becomes part of new Matildas boss Joe Montemurro's coaching staff
New Matildas boss Joe Montemurro has added A-League women's championship-winning mentor Emily Husband to his coaching staff. Having led Central Coast to the 2024-25 title, Husband has parted ways with the Mariners to become a full-time assistant coach with the Matildas. She will reunite with Montemurro, with the pair having worked together in guiding the fortunes of the A-League All-Star women's team last year. 'Joe is someone I've always had enormous respect for, not just for his football brain, but for the way he leads,' Husband said. 'We've had the chance to work together before, and I'm genuinely thrilled to build on that now as we hopefully play a part in guiding the Matildas to reach greater heights.' 'To be trusted with the chance to contribute, even in a small way, to the Matildas and their future is an absolute privilege.' Montemurro, whose appointment as Matildas coach was confirmed last week, said Husband was an 'astute, modern coach' who had 'proven her quality at the domestic level'. 'Her work with the Central Coast Mariners has been phenomenal and demonstrates the qualities she will bring to the Matildas,' Montemurro said. 'Emily has a deep understanding of the game, an ability to connect with players, and a fresh perspective that will be invaluable to our set-up. 'I'm looking forward to working closely with her once again.' Montemurro's first game in charge of the Matildas will be against Slovenia on June 26 at Perth's HBF Park. The teams will meet again at the same venue in June 29.
