Central Coast Mariners Academy crowned NPL NSW Womens 2 Champions

Congratulations to Central Coast Mariners Academy who were crowned the NPL NSW Women’s 2 Champions after they defeated Sydney Olympic in the Grand Final on Saturday at Popondetta Park.

Central Coast Mariners Academy ended a remarkable 2014 NPL NSW Women’s 2 season by defeating Sydney Olympic 6-3 in Saturday’s Grand Final, confirming a Premiership-Championship double. Star striker Jayme Fressard scored an incredible five of her side’s six goals, with Lucy Metcalfe adding the sixth. For Sydney Olympic, goals from Kayla Steeden, Sophie Scott and Kalista Tsoupis kept the score line somewhat respectable.

Sydney Olympic coach George Beltsos had warned his side pre-game of Central Coast’s near unstoppable attack – “Their front three is so dangerous, they’ve scored 74 goals but we defended well last time [in the Semi Final]” he told Football NSW before the Grand Final.

But his side was unable to defend as robustly as they had two weeks earlier, when they defeated Central Coast 3-1 in the Major Semi Final, and they went behind within the opening two minutes of the match. The lightening quick Fressard opened her tally for the match, adding another to her already substantial tally of 29 goals in the regular season.

Olympic were slow to get out of the blocks and, just minutes after falling behind, they found themselves two goals down when Fressard again punished a sleepy defence. In truth, it was always going to be difficult to keep Central Coast scoreless – only one side, Inter Lions, had been able to keep a clean sheet against Central Coast in 23 matches before the Grand Final – but Beltsos disappointed with his side’s slow start to the match.

“Their [Central Coast’s] movement up front is just so good, they have so much pace and our defence was torn apart in the opening five minutes,” said Beltsos. “Their number seven, Jayme Fressard, did all the damage – she’s so quick. She had five good chances and scored all five.”

Two-nil down was the worst possible start for Olympic, who had made a Women’s Grand Final for the first time in their short, four year existence, but they were soon back in the match when Steeden brought the score line to 2-1. From a set piece outside the box in the sixth minute, the ball was delivered to the back post and Steeden bundled the ball home.

Olympic were then able to create two decent chances through striker Dani Calvi, but unable to capitalise and bring the scores level, they conceded a goal against the run of play and a fourth soon after, both from Fressard, which allowed Central Coast to come into the half time break with a 4-1 lead.

Fressard was back to her goal scoring ways again in the second half, adding hers and Central Coast’s fifth of the match, which took her tally for the season to 34 goals in 24 matches. And when the score blew out to 6-1, there was only respectability on the line for Olympic.

Scott brought the score back to 6-2 and Tsoupis to 6-3, where it would end, but Central Coast had put the game beyond doubt well before.

Ending the season with a total of 80 goals scored, at an average of 3.3 per match, they dropped only six points in the regular season on their way to securing the Premiership by 20 points. Coming back from an upset in the Major Semi Final, where Olympic hit took them by surprise to win 3-1 by defending resolutely and converting their chances on the counter attack, Central Coast Mariners Academy deservedly took out the NPL NSW Women’s 2 Championship.

“They were the better side all year,” said Beltsos. “We had a good season, finishing second and making the final with a small squad of only 22 and we had to deal with some injuries as well, but they have been so lethal up front and were the better side on the day.”

Player of the Match: Jayme Fressard (Central Coast Mariners Academy)

Reserve Grade

Just as Central Coast won the double in First Grade, Inter Lions sealed their Premiership-Championship double by defeating Central Coast Mariners Academy 3-1 in Reserve Grade. Sarah Mandile’s double and a goal from Danielle Watson helped Inter Lions to the win, with Laura Murray scoring Central Coast’s only goal.

Topping the ladder by five points after the regular season, Inter Lions won their way through to the Grand Final by winning the Major Semi Final 3-0 over second placed UNSW Lions. Contrastingly, Central Coast was made to do it the hard way after they finished the regular season in third place. They squeezed through their Minor Semi Final against Southern Branch, winning 3-2 in a penalty shootout after a scoreless 120 minutes. They then defeated UNSW Lions 3-0 in the Preliminary Final before falling to a superior Inter side in the Grand Final.

TO VIEW PHOTOS OF THE GRAND FINAL CLICK HERE

-By Kate Cohen