Canberra United defeated at polytec Stadium, Sienna Dale replies late off the bench

Canberra United made the trip to the Central Coast and ultimately fell short on Saturday afternoon against a clinical Mariners side, who led 2-0 at the break and made the most of their openings. Canberra United held the greater share of possession and kept trying to play through the hosts – United kept going right to the end, with Dale’s late goal off the bench giving the travelling supporters something to take from a tough day.

First half

It was a difficult start for the visitors at polytec Stadium, with the hosts ahead in the sixth minute. Danika Matos delivered a cross from the right and Skye Halmarick met it in the centre of the box, sliding a right-footed finish into the bottom right corner.

Canberra United responded straight away, with the 4-3-3 trying to settle and play through midfield. In the seventh minute Darcey Malone’s header from Sofia Christopherson’s cross was saved by Morgan Aquino, and Michelle Heyman then sent in a header of her own from Malone’s delivery, which was also kept out.

The visitors kept building a foothold as the half went on. Bethany Gordon’s effort from outside the box was blocked in the eighth minute, before Malone’s right-footed shot met the same fate on 20 minutes. Hayley Taylor-Young then went closest from the left side of the box, only for Aquino to turn it away low to her left.

The hosts doubled their lead just past the half-hour, punishing a fast break with a cross from Peta Trimis that Talia Kapetanellis met in the centre of the box, heading into the bottom left corner. It was a clinical finish and a harsh blow for a Canberra side that had been seeing plenty of the ball, with the margins going against them.

Canberra remained in the contest in the closing stages, but Kapetanellis again went close in stoppage time, her left-footed shot from Halmarick’s cross just missing the top left corner. The visitors headed into the break two goals down, with plenty of work to do after the restart.

Second half

Canberra United made a change within five minutes of the restart, with Emily Condon replacing Darcey Malone in the 50th minute, as the hosts kept testing Sally James through Peta Trimis. The visitors were looking for a way into the contest, but the Mariners struck again before the new-look midfield could settle.

That third goal arrived in the 55th minute, when Te Reremoana Walker met a corner and finished from very close range into the top right corner. Antoni Jagarinec responded straight away, sending on Sienna Dale for Nanako Sasaki in the 56th minute to add fresh energy in attack.

The visitors showed real intent in the following spell. Condon tested Morgan Aquino from distance and Kelli Brown shot just wide from Sofia Christopherson’s pass, while James kept out a Skye Halmarick header at the other end, but the Mariners were ultimately more decisive, with Talia Kapetanellis tucking away her second from Danika Matos’ cross in the 70th minute to make it 4-0.

James continued to deny Trimis as the hosts pressed, and Canberra made a late double change in the 78th minute, with Sarah Morgan and Caley Tallon-Henniker replacing Brown and Christopherson, but substitute Alexia Karrys-Stahl found the bottom left corner from outside the box in the 80th minute to make it 5-0.

The response came three minutes from time. Dale, on from the bench, took Elizabeth Anton’s pass and drove a left-footed finish from the left side of the box into the bottom right corner, a deserved reward for a side that kept attacking right to the end. Tallon-Henniker almost added another in the closing moments, but Aquino made the save.

Full time

It was a tough afternoon at polytec Stadium, and the result was not the one hoped for, with the Mariners proving clinical in front of goal and punishing almost every opening they created on the way to a 5-1 win. There was still something to take from the way the visitors went about their work, completing more passes than the hosts, 224 accurate from 347 attempted against 204 from 314, and keeping the ball better than the scoreline suggests, while the late strike from the bench showed a group that refused to drop its heads.

The Mariners have historically held the upper hand in this fixture, with five wins to Canberra’s one and four draws from the previous meetings, but that is context rather than excuse, and the late reply showed the character within this group. Days like this are part of a long season, and the positives in possession, passing and the response from the substitutes give Canberra United a base to build on as they regroup and learn from the fine margins that went against them.

Match details

Next match

Canberra United return to McKellar Park to host Western Sydney Wanderers FC on Sunday 1 November, with kick-off at 3:00pm, looking to bounce back in front of the home support and climb off the bottom of the ladder.