Western NSW Mariners FC may have missed out on Women’s NSW National Premier Leagues 2 finals but the team finished off their season in style with a 3-1 win over the Marconi Stallions on Sunday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mariners seized control early in the game at Glen Willow Stadium and rarely looked challenged, carrying a 2-0 lead into the break after a dominant half of football.
Jasmin Courtenay scored a brace for the Mariners while Brydie Comiskey also contributed to Western’s half-time lead.
By the time Marconi had found a goal the damage had already been done and the Mariners were able to get late revenge for a 3-2 loss against the Stallions earlier in the season.
Courtenay said a change up in formation has helped the Mariners get into rhythm.
“We changed our on-field structure and we figured out that that really works for us better. We left it a bit late but with a 3-1 win you can’t complain about that,” she said.
“Their back line lacked a bit of communication with their keeper and we capitalised on that three times.
“Brydie and I played as the two strikers and we pressed all the time. We’re normally a 4-3-3 team but changed to 4-4-2 and that allowed us to have more in attack rather than the isolated striker which we’ve had in previous games.
“To have the likes of Teegan [Courtney], Chloe [Lanham], Larissa [Kilby] and Poorsha [McPhillamy] behind you getting the drop off and release it just works perfectly.”
Mariners had suffered a three game losing run coming into the game and they were desperate to stop it.
It was so good to finish on a positive. It made all the hard work worth it. It reinforced to us that we deserve to be in that competition.
- Jasmin Courtenay
“It was so good to finish on a positive. It made all the hard work worth it,” she said.
“It reinforced to us that we deserve to be in that competition.”
Mariners finished the season in ninth place with eight wins, no draws and 14 defeats.
The club came home 10th in the club championship, which combines first and reserve grade’s results.
Meanwhile, the Mariners under 15s team has completed an undefeated regular season.
The young Mariners girls couldn’t have asked for a tougher last round matchup against the Stallions in a top of the table contest.
In the end nothing separated the clubs in a nil-all draw – the second time this year the teams haven’t been able to be split.
Mariners 15s finished with 17 wins and five draws heading into the finals.
They will enjoy a two week break before their finals campaign begins.
Courtenay, who coaches the 15s, said it’s been “impossible to fault” the team throughout the year.
“They’ve been incredible,” she said.
“Luckily we get a break before we play which is good because we’ve got a few injuries. That will help us recover.”