The Illawarra Stingrays title dreams came to a crushing end after suffering a 6-1 demolition at the hands of Football NSW Institute at Seymour Shaw Park on Saturday.
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The Institute led 3-0 at half time before scoring three times in the last 15 minutes of the match to break the Stingrays’ hearts.
“It was tough,” Stingrays coach Carmelina Moscato said.
“When the score was 3-1, the momentum was ours and we looked to be a chance of coming back, but then they got a fourth [and it stopped the momentum].
“From a team performance – and I know it might sound naive – but I thought we actually played well, it just wasn’t our day.”
Holly McNamara led the assault for the Institute with a hat-trick while Melindaj Barbieri, Courtney Nevin and Aideen Keane all hit the target. Stingrays veteran Caitlin Cooper fired home Illawarra’s only goal midway through the second half on a frustrating evening.
The defeat brought to a close Moscato’s maiden season in charge as she will return to Canada at the end of the campaign.
“I am so proud of the girls as a whole for the season,’ Moscato said. “It’s been tremendous coaching them and I am proud of the work they put in.”
