Holly Caspers cemented her status as the Wander Women’s super sub, scoring a stoppage time winner in the Western Sydney Wanderers 2-1 victory over the Central Coast Mariners on Friday evening.
The winger continued her phenomenal record of scoring off the bench since her return from injury, making it three goals in three games as the Wanderers made it three wins in three games in a come from behind victory.
Interim head coach Geoff Abrahams wanted to keep the momentum going with a mostly unchanged side, only moving Young Matildas star and top scorer Sienna Saveska to the bench after she played a key role during the international break.
It took a little while for the game to get going on a very hot evening in Gosford, with four drinks breaks in total during the match.
Cushla Rue was able to get a good cutback off to find Danika Matos on the edge of the area after six minutes, but the fullback’s shot was straight at Sarah Langmann.
Sham Khamis was forced into a good stop to deny Annaliese Rasmussen, but it was one of the few clear cut chances for either side in the first half.
Talia Younis had a good shot from distance just before the break, but Langmann was able to deal with the effort, and the scores were level at the half time break.
The Mariners started the stronger of the two sides after the interval, with the Wanderers having to do a bit of defending in tough conditions.
Abrahams tried to change the tide by introducing Saveska, but before she could have her mark on the game, the Mariners took the lead after Isabel Gomez tapped home from close range in the 68th minute.
But Caspers’ introduction in the 73rd minute turned the game on its head, as she almost had a chance straight away as the Wanderers then seized the momentum.
They were rewarded 10 minutes from time when Saveska’s brilliantly threaded pass found Olivia Price in acres of space, and the midfielder was able to calmly score into the bottom corner to level the game up; it was her second goal against the Mariners this season.
Now the Wanderers had belief and confidence and began to push for a winner, with Caspers then going close but being denied by the offside flag. She then sent a shot just wide of the post, before Maddy McComasky was just offline with a header from a Chessari cross.
Just when the game seemed to be heading for a draw, the super sub stole the show.
Fellow sub Talia Kapetanellis took advantage of a loose touch from a Mariners defender to win possession high up the pitch and then put the ball in behind for Caspers.
The goalkeeper and a defender surrounded her to try and put her off, but she found just enough space between ‘keeper and post to get a shot away that rebounded off the post and rolled over the line just as Mariners defenders arrived to clear.
It sparked wild celebrations on the pitch and in the Wanderers’ dugout as they could now taste a third win on the bounce.
They did have to hold off a late Mariners onslaught, but their much improved defence held firm and they won a third game in four against the Mariners since last season.
The result moves the Wanderers further away from the bottom of the table, now sitting in ninth on 15 points.
They are on the road again next week, travelling across the ditch to face Wellington.
