‘Fear No One’: Emily Husband’s Central Coast Mariners reach A-League Grand Final | OneFootball

Just one season after returning to the A-League Women — and 15 years after their last appearance — the Central Coast Mariners have booked a Grand Final spot.

Under head coach Emily Husband, the side has exceeded expectations, doing so with tactical clarity, a resilient mentality and growing belief.

A semi-final decided by margins

Melbourne City and Central Coast contested a tight two-legged semi-final from the outset. In the first leg in Gosford, the Mariners held City to a 2-2 draw. They showed grit to come from behind, with Brooke Nunn finding the net twice. City dominated possession, but the Mariners stayed compact and disciplined, frustrating their opponents.

The second leg in Melbourne was tense and physical. City suffered two key setbacks. Holly McNamara was injured early, and Lourdes Bosch received a red card in the 25th minute.

Despite being a player down for most of the match, City held out through regular time and into extra time. But in the 121st minute, Isabel Gomez struck a sensational winner to seal a 3-2 aggregate victory and send the Mariners to the Grand Final.

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Gomez’s late heroics capped off a breakout campaign. Days later, selectors named her in the Matildas squad for the upcoming friendly series against Argentina — her first national team call-up.

Husband’s tactical mastery

At the core of this finals run is Emily Husband. Her tactical intelligence and calm leadership have turned the Mariners from an expansion side to genuine title contenders.

Husband’s in-game adjustments across both legs — including subtle tweaks to shape and pressing triggers — showed deep trust in her players and the bravery to go toe-to-toe with one of the league’s most established teams.

“We’ve always been the underdogs, right? But we’ve never feared anyone,” Husband said post-match.

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Building a culture of belief

More than tactics, the Mariners’ strength lies in their culture. Many of their players are experiencing finals football for the first time, but the team has embraced the moment with resilience and unity.

This is a side that doesn’t rely on superstars. It thrives on collective effort — whether grinding out results, adapting mid-match, or chasing down last-gasp winners. Husband has created an environment where belief is as important as execution.

The final awaits

The Mariners will now face Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park on Sunday, May 18th. Once again, they’ll enter as underdogs — and once again, they’ll relish it.

No matter the result in the Grand Final, Central Coast’s run in the A-League Women is already one of the season’s most compelling stories. It’s a tale of belief, identity, and a team that simply refuses to back down.

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