The Central Coast Mariners have inflicted City’s first defeat of the season thanks to a dramatic 121st minute winner for Izzy Gomez in the second leg of the semi-final.
Meanwhile, Melbourne Victory eased past Adelaide United, winning 3-1 in the second leg and taking their overall victory to 6-2 on aggregate.
Read our preview of the second leg semi-final action below.
Melbourne Victory 3 – 1 Adelaide United (6-2 agg.)
Melbourne Victory has eased its way to the Grand Final, with a comfortable victory over Adelaide United at home.
The Reds had to come out of the blocks firing if they were any chance of overcoming their first leg deficit. They finished the match with more shots and more possession, but in doing so, they left themselves exposed at the back, which allowed Victory to score the goals they needed.
Rachel Lowe scored a brace on either side of a Sara D’Appolonia strike from the edge of the penalty area. Adelaide’s goal was a stoppage-time consolation for captain Izzy Hodgson.
Despite the defeat, it was a season that Adelaide can be incredibly proud of. It was a season in which they won their first ever final, they finished equal-highest, and finished with a points total that in many other season would have seen them lift the Premiership trophy.
Matilda McNamara started for Adelaide in this game while Alana Murphy, Alex Chidiac and Emily Gielnik all started for Victory.
Melbourne City 0 – 1 Central Coast Mariners (2-3 agg.)
The Central Coast Mariners became the first team to defeat Melbourne City this season, and they’ve done it in dramatic circumstances, with an extra-time stoppage-time goal sending them to their first-ever Grand Final.
The first half was disastrous for City. Holly McNamara was forced off with a head injury after ten minutes, before Lourdes Bosch was given a straight red card midway through the first half. It meant that the Premiers had to play the majority of the game down to ten players and without their primary attacking option.
The player advantage meant that the Mariners were able to dominate possession and had most of the chances. However, they never really looked convincing, and for large swathes of the game it appeared as if City would do enough to hold on and send the game to a penalty shootout.
It was not to be. Izzy Gomez got on the end of a ball over the top and scored what would prove to be the winner in the 121st minute.
City has plenty to be proud of in an undefeated regular season, but will be hurting that they were not able to get the job done in the finals. For the Mariners, the fairytale continues - and they will back themselves to pull off yet another upset against Melbourne Victory next week.
Holly McNamara started for City before that injury forced her off the field. Bryleeh Henry, Leah Davidson, Laura Hughes and Karly Roestbakken also all started, with Henry and Hughes playing all 120 minutes.
Jessika Nash started and played the full match for the Mariners.
