Central Coast Mariners made it back-to-back wins in the Liberty A-League, defeating Adelaide United 2-0 to cement their spot in the top six.
Tiarna Karambasis scored her first ever Liberty A-League goal in the 50th minute to give the Mariners the lead before Wurigumula sealed the win midway through the second half on Sunday.
The result at Industree Group Stadium – where Matildas head coach Tony Gustavsson was a keen onlooker – leaves Emily Husband’s Central Coast in fifth spot on the ladder, but crucially, they hold a four-point buffer inside the finals positions.
As for Adelaide, the Reds remain second bottom in the standings after suffering what was their 10th defeat of the campaign.
Mariners goalkeeper Sarah Langman produced a fine save in the 32nd minute, diving to her left to deny Isabel Hodgson the opening goal after the Adelaide forward let fly from the edge of the box.
Langman was then called into action from the resulting corner, this time reacting well to save Maruschka Waldus’ towering header.
Central Coast side then had the best chance of the first half and should have broken the deadlock in the 41st minute but Paige Hayward missed the target altogether, failing to trouble the Adelaide goal after she was picked out by an excellent pull-back from Isabel Gomez.
The deadlock was eventually broken in the 50th minute and it was the home fans who were cheering.
A deflected strike from Kyah Simon bounced into the box and into the path of Karambasis who’s persistence paid off as she out-muscled the Adelaide defenders before poking the ball beyond the on-rushing Annalee Grove to score her first Liberty A-League goal.
The home side then doubled their lead in the 64th minute as Wurigumula took her tally to six goals for the campaign, firing into an unguarded net after Reds’ keeper Grove mis-judged a cross into the box and punched the ball into the path of the China international.
Langman was then called into action in the 80th minute, thwarting Adelaide’s Hodgson with another top save as she tipped the ball round her far post and away to safety.
