Our Wander Women have won four games in a row for the first time in their history after a hard fought 2-1 win over the Central Coast Mariners at Industree group Stadium.
In testing conditions – kick off had to be pushed back an hour due to the extreme heat in Gosford – Holly Caspers’ second goal in as many games and an own goal from Mariners defender Jazmin Wardlow was enough to propel the Wanderers back into the top four.
In front of a strong crowd of just over 2,700, the Mariners started strong and could have had an early goal were it not for the intervention of captain Amy Harrison and goalkeeper Kaylie Collins in the seventh minute.
The Wanderers had to weather the storm for the opening 20 minutes, but soon found their feet as Olivia Price and Maliah Morris had a pair of chances in quick succession.
Morris was still waiting for her first goal for the club, and she went close again when her snap shot from the right side of the box went just over the bar, and in the 31st minute another shot after a good run from the American went agonisingly off the post.
The Wanderers had to be alert at the other end, though, as Collins showed great reactions to make a strong stop from a Jazmin Jackmon header from a corner.
It would prove to be a crucial stop as just a minute later the Wanderers would go down the other end and take the lead.
Alexia Apostolakis was able to thread a good ball into the path of Holly Caspers, and she held off her marker to slot the ball past Casey Dumont in the 43rd minute.
It was her seventh goal involvement of the season and continues her fine run of form in recent weeks.
The Mariners came out strong after the break and had an equaliser in the 48th minute as Isabel Gomez’s first time volley after a set piece flew into the far corner of the net.
Central Coast hit the woodwork straight after, but the Wanderers held firm, and no sooner were they pegged back, they hit the lead again in the 54th minute.
Morris found space on the right wing, and her cross was turned into the goal by Mariners centre back Wardlow, leaving Dumont completely wrongfooted.
The Mariners pressed for an equaliser, with Rola Badawiya forcing Collins into a low diving stop to her left on the hour mark, whilst Gomez and Bianca Galic went close with long range efforts as the clock wound down.
Substitute Gemma Ferris almost sealed the game with a wonderful strike from distance, but Dumont was alert to tap it over the crossbar.
There was a nervous moment deep into stoppage time when the ball fell to Galic in the box, but she dragged the shot off target, and the Wanderers held on for a vital three points.
The win lifted Robbie Hooker’s side back into fourth with six wins and 20 points for the season, with a game in hand on the teams around them on the ladder; they return home next weekend to face the Brisbane Roar.
