“I think it was an excellent match, with both sides having plenty of chances, which is how it should be in a match as big as this,” said the Melbourne City FC head coach. 

“The Red Angels started the game stronger than us, but we got into our groove towards the end of the first half and while the second half was quite level for the most part, we did feel the pressure from them in the last 10 minutes.”

With McMahon’s 45th-minute substitution eventually proving to be Melbourne’s ticket to the final, Matricciani said it was a fortuitous outcome after the team had decided not to overwork midfielder Laura Hughes, who had been slightly under the weather going into the match.

“With Laura’s health not being at 100%, we didn’t want to tire her out and decided to take her off as the first half was ending, and I had full faith in Shelby’s strengths and qualities, so she was an obvious choice, which now feels like a really smart move,” he chuckled.

“She can play in almost any position and scored against the run of play and helped us avoid playing extra minutes, which is great for the legs. We can now turn our attention to Saturday’s final, which I am really excited for and what, I am sure, will be another great battle.”

While it was heartbreak for Hur Jung-jae’s side, the Red Angels head coach was gracious in defeat, offering congratulations to Melbourne while lamenting his side’s missed opportunities.

“I have to extend my wishes to Melbourne FC for their performance. They were better than us in the semi-final, and I wish them luck for the final on Saturday,” said Hur.

“We had numerous chances but failed to capitalise, which cost us the match. In some moments, I feel we were quite unlucky as well. We’ll review our mistakes, make the necessary adjustments in the WK League, and come back stronger.”