Western Sydney Wanderers returned to the winner’s circle in the Ninja A-League on Sunday afternoon, securing a deserved 2–1 victory over Central Coast Mariners at Polytec Stadium in a performance that reflected both belief and persistence.
After weeks of narrow margins and encouraging performances without reward, the Wanderers were finally able to turn their football into three points, led by a standout display from Holly Caspers, who scored both goals to guide the Red & Black to their first win in over two months.
“It’s been a while since we’ve got a win, so it feels really good,” Caspers said post-match.
“Three points in the bag and two goals – I’m feeling pretty good right now.”
The opening stages were physical and closely contested, with both sides battling to find rhythm. Western Sydney gradually grew into the contest and were rewarded in the 35th minute when Caspers timed her run perfectly to break in behind the Mariners’ defence, latching onto a precise through ball from Yuan Cong before finishing calmly to open the scoring.
Despite Central Coast responding through Annalise Rasmussen to level the match before halftime, the Wanderers emerged from the break with renewed intent, a reflection of the belief that has remained within the group despite recent results.
“I think we’ve got a really good team,” Caspers said.
“We just haven’t had the outcomes in the past few weeks. We’ve been playing good football, but we haven’t executed in the attacking half and we’ve let a few goals in defensively. Today, I think we showed how we usually play, and it was really good to finally get a result from it.”
That belief was rewarded again in the 57th minute. Talia Younis delivered a superb cross from the right flank, and Caspers rose above her defender to power home a header and complete her brace, a moment that proved decisive.
“My heading can be a bit hit or miss sometimes,” Caspers said with a smile.
“But Talia put in a fantastic ball, right on the spot, with a lot of power on it. I didn’t have to do much, just slightly redirect it. It was an incredible ball from her.”
She also highlighted the awareness required in those moments inside the box.
“It’s about knowing where your defenders are and being in front. I knew I had someone behind me, so it was about finding that space and making sure I stayed inside the posts.”
The Wanderers showed composure in the closing stages as the Mariners pushed for a late equaliser.
Goalkeeper Sham Khamis produced a crucial point-blank save, while the crossbar came to Western Sydney’s rescue late as the Red & Black defended resolutely to secure the win.
With the result providing a timely boost, attention now turns to next weekend’s Sydney Derby against Sydney FC, a fixture that carries added significance for the group.
“It’s been a while for the Wanderers against Sydney,” Caspers said.
“But I think this win gives us really good momentum. We’re in a really good place, the team’s playing well, and this is the energy we need going into such a big derby.”
After weeks of building, Western Sydney finally have reward to match their effort and with confidence restored, the Wanderers head into the derby with belief, momentum, and a renewed sense of purpose.
