Central Coast Mariners Women have made a winning start to their home camapign, beating Canberra United with confidence 5-1 on Saturday in their first outing of the new season at polytec Stadium.
Goals from Skye Halmarick, Talia Kapetanellis (two), Te Reremoana Walker and substitute Alexia Karrys-Stahl lifted the Mariners to six points and nine goals from their first two matches of the 2026-27 Ninja A-League Women season, following their 4-2 opening-round win away to Brisbane Roar.
Playing their first match of the season after a round-one bye, Canberra found few answers to the Mariners’ pressing. The hosts struck inside six minutes, with Halmarick sweeping a low cross from Danika Matos past goalkeeper Sally James.
Morgan Aquino was called into action to keep the lead intact, saving a Michelle Heyman header and a Hayley Taylor-Young shot at the near post. The Mariners doubled their advantage in the 31st minute, when Kapetanellis headed in a Peta Trimis cross to send the hosts into the break 2-0 up.
Walker made it three in the 55th minute, stabbing the ball home in a scramble in the six-yard box after a recycled corner. It was her first A-League goal, and came in her first A-League Women start in four years. Kapetanellis then completed her brace in the 70th minute, firing into the roof of the net from close range.
Karrys-Stahl added the fifth in the 80th minute. Coming off the bench, she beat two opponents, one of them with a nutmeg, before firing into the bottom corner. Canberra pulled one back through substitute Sienna Dale in the 87th minute, but the Mariners held on comfortably.
“Superb day, first and foremost for the players,” said Head Coach Dean Heffernan.
“I said to them before the game I was just so pumped and excited for them to get to play here at this stadium. With the support that we could hear outside the stadium, and seeing the marquees out on the front lawn with people just filtering in, it was a really special moment for the girls.”
“And that’s all we spoke about, the opportunity to show our identity, show what we’re about as a football club and I think we did that today.”
“I think one of the big things as a coach is when you recruit players you’ve got to make sure that the players continue to do the things that got them here and we make sure that we get the best out of them but they get the best out of themselves at the things they’re really good at. We obviously work on things – they’re probably going to go to sleep and have nightmares about the terminology ‘one more pass’ and ‘underlaps, in to out’ and there’s a lot of runs we like to do… and they’re absolutely executing every time and they’re working well together.”
The match capped a memorable homecoming day on the Coast, with the new Mariners Club officially launching beside polytec Stadium. Developed by Holman Barnes Group, which took over the operation of the Mariners’ A-League Women program earlier this year, the venue sits on the site of the former Gosford Bowling Club on Dane Drive and is designed as a year-round gathering place for football fans and the wider Central Coast community. Every dollar made by the Mariners Club goes straight back into the Mariners Women’s team and program, as outlined by Holman Barnes Group CEO Daniel Paton.
Fans were welcomed onto the lawns from 1pm ahead of the 3pm kick-off, with a live band at the Mariners Club, local beer from Hawkesbury Brewing Co., freshly made pizzas from local favourite Chef Daniel, face painting and mini soccer goals for the kids, and Mariners Women jerseys and merchandise on sale. A DJ entertained supporters inside the stadium before kick-off. Full Season Mariners Women memberships were also offered on the day for $100, with a $40 upgrade for existing Mariners A-League Men members, and fans were invited back to the Mariners Club after full-time for post-match celebrations.
The Mariners return to polytec Stadium this Saturday 31 October at 5pm to host Adelaide United, before the first F3 Derby of the women’s season next week on November 7, also at polytec Stadium.
“I think they’re a happy bunch at the moment. We’ve got a decent football team on our hands.” added Heffernan.
“Look, it’s the first two weeks… that’s probably what I think about – it’s two weeks, there’s a long way to go and it’s week to week so we’ll make sure we recover well, get everyone back on the pitch including the girls that were sick and injured, and just make sure that the squad is ready to go.”
