The Central Coast Mariners Women were forced to settle for a point in a weather affected clash with Canberra United FC on Saturday night, finishing in a 1-1 draw at McKellar Park.
Lightning delays disrupted the fixture, but it was the home side applying early pressure and registering several shots on target in the first half. Despite their dominance, the hosts were unable to break through, with the sides heading into the break locked at nil-all.
The Mariners found their rhythm in the second half, creating their first real chance through Isabella Coco-Di Sipio, whose powerful strike was well saved by the Canberra goalkeeper.
Momentum soon swung the Mariners’ way, and in the 66th minute Annalise Rasmussen opened the scoring, latching onto a perfectly weighted through ball and calmly finishing into the bottom right corner.
However, late drama saw Canberra snatch an equaliser in the 89th minute, with Sasha Grove finishing a well-worked attacking move to level the scores.
The match ended 1-1, with the Mariners remaining third on the Ninja A-League ladder. They now turn their attention to a blockbuster home clash against league leaders Melbourne Victory at Polytec Stadium on Saturday 27 December.
