The Newcastle Jets' promising unbeaten start to the A-League Women's season came crashing down in a brutal 4-1 reality check delivered by arch-rivals Central Coast Mariners on Sunday night. The round-six F3 Derby, delayed by 26 hours due to extreme heat, saw the Mariners unleash a devastating second-half blitz to claim a commanding victory in Gosford.
Heat Delay Precedes Fiery On-Field Clash
The match finally kicked off on Sunday evening after being postponed from its original Saturday 5pm slot. With temperatures in Gosford peaking at a scorching 40.8 degrees Celsius on Saturday afternoon, officials invoked the competition's heat policy just an hour before the scheduled start, prioritising player safety.
When play did commence, the Jets initially looked the part, capitalising on their strong early-season form. Livewire winger Lauren Allan broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute, finishing a clever through-ball from 17-year-old stand-in Alexis Collins.
Mariners' Ruthless Second-Half Onslaught
However, the Mariners' pressure eventually told. Striker Annalise Rasmussen equalised just before halftime, pouncing on a defensive lapse to tap in at the back post. The game then turned decisively in a chaotic 12-minute period late in the second half.
Rasmussen struck again on a swift counter-attack in the 71st minute to give the Mariners the lead. The floodgates then opened, with substitute Tamar Levin scoring with her first touch just minutes later. Seventeen-year-old debutante Eliza Familton completed the rout in the 83rd minute, exposing a Jets defence that had been resolute in previous matches.
Captain's Blunt Assessment and Looking Ahead
Newcastle captain Cassidy Davis offered a frank and disappointed assessment post-match. "It was obviously not a good performance from us," Davis told Paramount+. "For a derby, it's not good enough at all... We just weren't good enough overall." She highlighted early yellow cards to herself and defender Claudia Cicco as disruptive, but stressed the need for the entire team to "turn up better" for the next derby encounter.
The match also marked the 100th national league appearance for Jets forward Melina Ayres, a milestone Davis lamented was not celebrated with a better result. "She's a true legend... I just wish we could've given her a better 100th game," Davis said.
The victory was a crucial one for the defending champion Mariners, snapping a three-game losing streak and providing a major boost in the season-long F3 Derby trophy race. The result sees the Mariners climb to within one point of the sixth-placed Jets on the ladder, with both teams now on six points.
The Jets have little time to dwell on the loss, with a challenging fixture against second-placed Brisbane Roar awaiting them at Newcastle's No.2 Sportsground this Saturday afternoon.
