Mariners’ finals chances take a backseat

Following the impressive 6-0 win in Adelaide seven days earlier, along with Sydney FC?s surprise loss to Perth Glory in the opening match of the afternoon, expectations were high amongst the Mariners? players. The final result was certainly unexpected.
Midfielder Trudy Camilleri expressed her disappointment at the conclusion of the match:
?We didn?t play well in the end. The girls were all looking forward to the match and we believed that we could get the win tonight; Canberra is a very strong, physical side and they got the better of us.?
Central Coast Mariners? boss Stephen Roche shared his midfielder?s view:
?All credit to Canberra, they played a strong match by dominating in midfield. That is where they won it tonight.
?We are still in the running for a finals spot, so we will be training hard this week and we will be ready to face Queensland Roar next weekend.?
A fairly timid opening was brought to life by the visitors on 7? minutes when an Amy Chapman free-kick found the head of an unmarked Thea Slatyer; the Matildas defender headed wide of the mark.
The Mariners? responded with a swift counter-attack started by an exquisite touch of the ball from Kyah Simon in midfield. Karina Roweth received the ball wide on the right-flank, delivering a pin-point cross to Trudy Camilleri who headed the ball into goalkeeper Lydia Williams? arms.
Renee Rollason tested Williams again moments later, perfectly chesting a Jodie Bain cross onto her right foot before unleashing a venomous volley goalwards; Williams saved well down to her right.
Rollason nearly broke the deadlock with her second attempt. The midfielder latched onto a precise Kyah Simon through ball down the middle of the park, turning her marker before her goalbound attempt took a wicked deflection and finished wide.
Against the run of play, slack marking by the Mariners? defence allowed Ellie Brush to head home a corner from the right to give Canberra a one-goal lead.
Caitlin Munoz sent shivers down the spines of the Central Coast defence when her sweetly hit free-kick was touched onto the crossbar by an outstretched Emma-Kate Dewhurst.
The chance spurred the visitors on as Ashleigh Sykes went close to doubling their lead moments before the break. The striker outpaced the Mariners? defence before hitting her effort into the side-netting.
Canberra United administered the opening minutes of the second-half with ease, frustrating the Mariners? players by constantly getting numbers behind the ball.
The visitors did find the back of the net for a second time just shy of the hour mark via Caitlin Munoz, though the referee?s assistant flagged for off-side.
Munoz nearly got her goal moments later after latching onto a superb through ball by Chapman though Emma-Kate Dewhurst parried her first attempt before a Mariners defender cleared the second effort off the goal line.
Canberra?s dominance continued in the 63? minute when Sykes failed to divert a low cut-back effort from Brush on the left.
The visitors had a second goal disallowed, again for offside, this time Sykes the unlucky player to be denied.
Canberra?s dominance did pay off in the 71? minute when Amy Chapman?s slalom effort on the right provided Hayley Crawford with a precise cut-back effort; Crawford converted with a well-laced drive inside the right-hand post.
Despite a brief show of life from the Mariners, a chance falling to substitute Elizabeth O?Reilly from range, Caitlin Munoz extended Canberra United?s lead to three. Munoz ran on to another tantalising through ball behind the Mariners? defence and slotting past a helpless Dewhurst.
Jenna Kinsgley was presented with a golden chance to pull a goal back for Central Coast after running off Kyah Simon?s flick-on; Kingsley dribbled her way into the penalty-area though blasted her effort over the crossbar with only the goalkeeper to beat.
Mariners? goalkeeper Dewhurst thwarted a late Christine Walters chance, saving bravely to keep the deficit at three.
The Central Coast Mariners? chances of clinching a finals berth remain alive, though a difficult away trip at Queensland Roar next weekend awaits them.
Match Details
Central Coast Mariners 0
Canberra United FC 3 (Ellie BRUSH 21?, Hayley CRAWFORD 71?, Caitlin MUNOZ 78?)
Parramatta  Stadium, Sydney
Saturday 13^th December, 2008
Crowd: 300
Referee: Kirralee Gardener
Central Coast Mariners line-up: 1.Emma-Kate DEWHURST (gk); 2.Caitlin COOPER (c), 3.Lyndsay GLOHE (9.Ellyse PERRY 84?), 4.Rachael DOYLE, 5. Jodie BAIN, 6.Karina ROWETH (12.Gill FOSTER 80?), 7.Teresa POLIAS (15. Elizabeth O?REILLY  65?), 8.Renee ROLLASON, 10. Kyah SIMON, 13.Trudy CAMILLERI, 23.Jenna KINGSLEY
Substitutes Not Used: 20.Lisa HARTLEY (gk)
Yellow Cards:
Red Cards: Nil
Canberra United FC line-up: 1.Lydia WILLIAMS (gk), 3.Amy Chapman (18.Lucy ALLAN 88?), 4.Bronwyn STUDMAN, 6.Caitlin MUNOZ (19.Jennifer BISSETT 82?), 7.Ellie BRUSH, 8.Rebecca KITING, 10.Hayley CRAWFORD, 11.Cian MACIEJEWSKI, 12.Kara MOWBRAY, 13.Thea SLATYER, 14.Ashleigh SYKES (17.Christine WALTERS 85?)
Substitutes Not Used: 20.Maja BLASCH (gk)
Yellow Cards: Cian MACIEJEWSKI 60?
Red Cards: Nil
-By Joseph Carlucci
Westfield W League 2008/09 Table

P = played | W = wins | D = draws | L = losses | F = goals for | A = goals against | GD = Goal Difference | Pts = points
Westfield W-League 2008/09 – Leading Goal Scorers
6– Leena Khamis (SFC)
5– Courtney Beutel (QR), Kyah Simon (CCM)
4– Lauren Colthorpe (QR), Katie Gill (NJ), Lana Harch (QR)
Westfield W-League 2008/09 ? Round 9 Fixtures