Snubbed Matilda Gielnik steers Victory past Mariners

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Snubbed Matilda Gielnik steers Victory past Mariners

Snubbed Matildas striker Emily Gielnik has scored a double for Melbourne Victory to deliver a 2-0 win over Central Coast and shoot to the top of the A-League Women golden boot race.

Elsewhere, Brisbane and Western United fought out a 0-0 draw at Perry Park.

Gielnik and teammate Alex Chidiac were overlooked for Australia’s SheBelieves Cup squad, while teenage midfielder Alana Murphy was a late call-up.

The powerful striker scored in the 10th minute, missed a penalty in the 44th minute and added a cheeky second in the opening minute of first-half stoppage time.

Chidiac and Murphy also controlled the midfield duel throughout the match at the Home of the Matildas in Bundoora.

“She was pretty determined,” coach Jeff Hopkins told AAP.

“One or two of the girls were.

“I thought Chids was excellent today as well – not a point to prove, but to say, ‘Hey, I’m still I’m still around, still alive and kicking’. So it was good.

“We had a good response from the whole team.”

In the process, Victory (32 points) leapfrogged Adelaide (31) into second place, while cutting Melbourne City’s lead to seven.

Only the leg of Victory goalkeeper Courtney Newbon stopped a close-range strike from ***** Pennock in the second minute.

Victory snatched the lead eight minutes later when a beautiful through ball from Murphy unleashed Gielnik to score.

Gielnik had her head in her hands in the 44th minute when she blasted a penalty over the bar after Jessica Seaman legged Rachel Lowe in the area.

But she had her second goal of the day, and ninth of the season, just two minutes later.

The ball bobbled out from a corner and Chidiac’s shot was headed towards goal before Gielnik instinctively flicked the ball home.

Mariner Annalise Rasmussen hit the crossbar just before half-time.

Mariners star Isabel Gomez returned from injury on the hour mark and immediately showed her class.

In the 65th minute, substitute Tiana Fuller clipped the post while Pennock forced a fine save from Newbon in the 73rd minute.

“Today, the first half we let ourselves down compared to our levels that we expect and we know the girls can deliver,” coach Emily Husband told AAP.

“But the reaction in the second half was the right one, unfortunately we just couldn’t come back from a 2-0 deficit.”

At Perry Park, Danielle Tan thought she had given the Roar an injury-time winner when she headed home, but she was offside.

Perth host Wellington in Sunday’s late match.

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