Canberra United return to action for their third game in eight days, travelling to take on the Central Coast Mariners for Round 20 of the Liberty A-League Women’2 2023/24 season.
This is only the fourth time that these two sides have ever met in the competition’s history, and only the second time Canberra have been the away team in this fixture.
Interestingly, the one away game Canberra did play against the Mariners, was at Parramatta Stadium on 13 December 2008. The team in green came way with the points on that day via a three-nil win, with the goals coming from Ellie Brush, Caitlin Munoz, and Hayley Crawford.
Headed to Industree Group Stadium in Gosford for the first time, Canberra come into tis fixture having lost midweek to the Western Sydney Wanderers, The Mariners will be full of confidence, having just won away to Brisbane Roar, and currently find themselves in fifth position on the ladder.
Despite being 12th on the ladder, Canberra boast one of the best attacks in the Liberty A-League, being equal third for goals scored with 34.
Michelle Heyman leads the golden boot standings with 14 goals scored, only three shy of equalling the record for most goals scored in a season. Heyman is also equal second for assists in the league with six, tied with Nickoletta Flannery.
The attacking duo of Heyman and Flannery has thrived this season, with the pair combining for eight goals so far in 23/24.
Serbian International Vesna Milivojevic is equal fourth in the league for goals scored with nine, while also having three assists to her name.
In their first season back in the A-League, after a 13-year hiatus, the Mariners have done well. Sitting in a finals position, they’ve scored 26 goals and conceded 19. They have had 11 different goal scorers so far this season, with Chinese International Wurigumula leading the line with seven goals scored.
With only four games left in the regular season, this clash is incredibly important in Canberra’s efforts to climb up the ladder.
MATCH DETAILS
Liberty A-League Round 17
Sunday 17 March 2024
Central Coast Mariners v Canberra United
(Industree Group Stadium, 15:00)
