Sarah Rowe helps Mariners to first A-League Women's Grand Final
Former Shelbourne and Bohemians player Sarah Rowe helped Central Coast Mariners to win Australia's A-League Women's Grand Final with a 5-4 penalty shoot-out win over Melbourne Victory on Sunday, following a 1-1 draw after extra time, to claim the title for the first time.
Captain Bianca Galic smashed home the final penalty at AAMI Park in Melbourne to give Central Coast the win, having earlier seen Victory's Alana Jancevski hit the crossbar with the opening spot kick.
The game went to a shoot-out after the teams shared a 1-1 draw in regulation time, with neither side able to score in 30 minutes of extra time.
Isabel Gomez had given Central Coast the lead less than a minute into the second half when she prodded the ball past Courtney Newbon as the Victory defence failed to clear Annalise Rasmussen's deflected shot as it looped into the air.
Victory saw two efforts disallowed before Claudia Bunge levelled with 10 minutes remaining, the central defender meeting Alana Murphy's corner with a powerful header that Annabel Martin could not prevent from crossing the line.
The game moved into penalties and Jancevski hit the woodwork with the opening kick of the shoot-out to leave Galic to score the winner in the fifth and final round.
Rowe, who played at right-back in the final, joined Central Coast Mariners last December. She has represented the Mayo ladies Gaelic football team and is also signed on with AFLW outfit Collingwood for the 2025 season. Rowe will now head for Aussie Rules pre-season having added another medal to her soccer collection.
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