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The Central Coast Mariners lifting the trophy after winning the 2024/25 A-League Women Grand Final at AAMI Park. Photo: Marcus Robertson/Round Ball Australia

Central Coast Mariners have won their first A-League Women Grand Final after defeating Melbourne Victory 5-4 on penalties at AAMI Park after ending extra time at 1-1.

“I was definitely overcome with emotion, I’m not a crier, but I cried like a little baby,” Central Coast Mariners Head Coach Emily Husband said following her team’s win and her becoming just the fourth woman to coach a Grand Final winning A-League Women team.

Midfielder Isabel Gomez was awarded player of the match to go with her team’s Championship trophy.

“It’s a great feeling to be recognised for what I’ve been doing, it’s an awesome feeling, definitely a credit to the girls and the whole entire team, they’ve helped me throughout my whole journey,” Gomez said.

Victory had an early goal ruled out due to striker Emily Gielnik being caught offside when she put the ball over the line.

It was Isabel Gomez, the scorer of last week’s game winner over Melbourne City, who struck first at the start of the second half for Central Coast after Victory midfielder Sarah D’Appolonia had her pocket picked at the top of the box. 

Her goal was cancelled out towards the end of the second half when defender Claudia Bunge’s header from a corner managed to scrape over the line, despite Annabel Martin’s best efforts to keep it out.

This was the second time during this game that Victory had scored this exact goal, having done so earlier but it being ruled out again after Sarah D’Appolonia was seen to have fouled keeper Sarah Langman in the build up.

Into the second period of extra time, Victory were denied an obvious penalty opportunity when Taylor Ray had the ball kicked into her open palm in the box. 

Victory striker Emily Gielnik said post-match that she “already envisioned [herself] scoring the penalty,” at that moment.

Emily Husband looked to the youth in her squad to take her penalties, trusting 16-year-old Tiana Fuller, 19-year-old Peta Trimis, and 22-year-old Isabel Gomez to take and convert their spot kicks.

Unfortunately for Melbourne Victory, the first penalty was their undoing, Alana Jancevski, who had not previously missed a trick from the spot. She over hit her shot, sending the ball slamming into the crossbar.

“I think anyone that’s brave enough to stand up and take a penalty, that’s all they can do, going first that’s a bit of an adrenaline rush, we’ve been practicing, she’s been taking 10, 15 a week, I’ve never seen her miss one,” Victory Head Coach Jeff Hopkins said after the match. 

The game marked the first time that an A-League Women Grand Final has been decided by penalties in its 17-year long history.

Listen to the latest episode of The Dubcast, Round Ball Australia’s Women’s Football podcast onSpotify,Apple, orwatch on YouTube, with new episodes every Wednesday.

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