ASMedia's Sports Arena — Football

Central Coast Mariners edge Wellington Phoenix 2-1 in A-League Women's thriller

A debut goal and late drama sealed the Mariners' first home win in months. Can Wellington's fading title hopes survive just two games left?

, and ASMedia

2026 March 26 . 7:09 PM

1 min read

The image shows a group of women playing soccer on a field surrounded by buildings, trees, poles,... — The image shows a group of women playing soccer on a field surrounded by buildings, trees, poles, and a clear blue sky. On the right side of the image, there is a goal post with a net, indicating that the women are part of a women's soccer team.

Central Coast Mariners edge Wellington Phoenix 2-1 in A-League Women's thriller

Central Coast Mariners secured a 2-1 victory over Wellington Phoenix in the A-League Women's competition on March 26, 2026. The win marked their first home triumph in four matches and lifted them to fifth place on the ladder. Meanwhile, the Phoenix remain six points behind league leaders Melbourne City with only two games left in the season. The Mariners took control early, with Eliza Familton netting her first A-League Women's goal in her debut start. Wellington fought back, and Brooke Nunn came close to equalising in the 54th minute when her shot struck the crossbar.

Isabel Gomez sealed the win for the Mariners in the 83rd minute, extending their unbeaten streak against the Phoenix. Macey Fraser pulled one back for Wellington with a long-range free kick deep into added time, but it wasn't enough to prevent a sixth consecutive loss to the Mariners. The result leaves Wellington with 20 games played this season, including a rescheduled fifth-round fixture yet to be completed. Their record now stands at one win, one loss, and a pending match before Round 21 begins.

The defeat keeps Wellington six points adrift of top-placed Melbourne City as the season nears its end. The Mariners, now fifth, will look to build on their first home win in four attempts when they return to action. Wellington, meanwhile, face an uphill battle to close the gap in their final two matches.