Mariners eye three points as Canberra go without Heyman
Central Coast are bent on keeping their A-League Women undefeated streak alive when they face off against a Canberra United side missing Michelle Heyman.
The Mariners will have the edge on their fellow top-six team on Saturday after star striker and captain Heyman opted to remain in the Matildas camp for the international window.
Heyman’s absence comes after both teams notched 1-1 draws in their respective Unite Round fixtures last week.
The Mariners coughed up an early lead courtesy of Annalise Rasmussen goal to draw with Melbourne Victory, while United came from behind against Perth to salvage a point.
A Canberra outfit without their best scorer will no doubt give Central Coast an advantage to work with, but Mariners coach Emily Husband insists focusing on their own performance will be just as crucial for winning the three points on Saturday – and a top-six finish.
“Every single game presents a new challenge for us, and my biggest thing for the girls coming into the first half of the season is putting the performance first … not focusing too much energy on the opposition,” Husband said.
“We’ve got off to a good start, but nothing’s won in the first four games.
“There’s a long way of the season to go yet, so I’m definitely not getting ahead of myself. We know that Canberra will pose threats on the weekend, so we’re prepared for that.”
The Mariners will be without Isabel Gomez, who suffered a knee injury after colliding with Melbourne Victory’s Eloise Wilson in the second half of their Unite Round draw.
Her injury came just days after interim Matildas coach Tom Sermanni handed the 22-year-old midfielder her first call-up.
“The tackle on her was really disappointing. At the end of the day, it’s needless,” Husband said.
“She’ll be missing for a while. It’s up to our medical team to get her back on the pitch as soon as we can.”
As international matches approach, round five has been split across two weekends.
Melbourne City will host a winless Western Sydney side for the only other game on Saturday, playing before Central Coast and Canberra.
Round five action will return on December 8.
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