On paper this match-up between the top two sides in the Women’s Super League was a tantalising affair. A contest you'd expect to be tighter than attempting a reverse park at peak hour in the City. A free scoring Hobart Zebras side making the trek across the bridge to meet with the table topping Olympia Warriors was always going to produce a blockbuster. Pre-match only a madman would've predicted a comfortable 3-0 win for the Warriors, their first two games had been tight, tense affairs, ending in scores of 2-2 and 3-2. But funny things happen in Football and a touch of madness is exactly what happened, as Olympia stormed to a convincing victory.
Here’s a look at where the match was won and lost across the pitch.
Madi Chambers was the player of the match- Solstice Photography[/caption]
Solstice Photography[/caption]
Jenna Farrow had a quality game in the Warriors net- Solstice Photography[/caption]
Clinical Finishing
Heading into the match, the Zebras seemingly had the edge in the goal-scoring department. Scoring 54 goals over the course of twelve matches, it was 17 more than Olympia had managed. There’s little doubt the Zebras scoring stocks have run deep this season. Add on a recent hot streak of 25 goals in three matches over two weeks, albeit against the bottom two sides, and this was not a team not lacking scoring confidence. But on Saturday’s it was different story for the team in black and white and the story ran deeper than the side missing their top goal scorer in Allie Berry from the starting line up. Both Zoe Nichols and Lily Hulton have goals in the double digits this season, so one player's abscence, even one as talented as Berry, shouldn’t bring that form to a halt. Yet both forwards missed open net opportunities in the early minutes of the match. Even when Berry was introduced, opportunities were created, however the finishing was decidedly lacking. On the other foot, Olympia have often struggled to find the composure in front of goal this year despite creating chances frequently. Given the problems with injury in the centre forward position, most notably Josi Mamic’s early season ending injury, it’s no surprise the struggle has been real. Most matches have seen the Warriors dominate possession in attacking areas, yet needing a raft of opportunities to get their goals. That wasn’t the case against the Zebras at Warrior Park. Special mention to Madison Chambers, who wore her scoring boots, bagging herself a hat-trick just as her fellow winger Bonnie Davies did the previous weekend. More importantly on the match, when Olympia broke into attack, they were direct. Their wingers caused havoc, both out wide and cutting into the centre. With speed exposing a vulnerability in the back for the Zebras, Olympia found space in advanced areas, and were able to find the composure and clinical finishing that was the deciding factor in the match. [caption id="attachment_12479" align="alignnone" width="616"] Madi Chambers was the player of the match- Solstice Photography[/caption]
Bringing the Intensity in the Engine Room
Both these teams are capable of playing beautiful football. That’s not only what makes them difficult opposition to come up against, it’s what makes them good sides to watch. The combination play, and ability to turn defence into attack in the blink of an eye is the reason this match-up is so mouth-droolingly delicious. The hub of this creation and activity is the midfield for both sides. A key difference between the respective midfields for both sides in this matchup was the hunger to be the first one to the ball. All the brilliant, delicately placed passes in the world aren’t going to matter for much if there’s an opposition player hungrier to get to the ball. After taking a hot minute to get into the match, the midfield battle was won by the home side. Seeing Olivia Bomford sitting deep in the park after a spell as a false nine for large parts of this season, was a masterstroke. This meant the midfielder could control play and with the likes of Jade Williams and Heather Russel fighting to simply get to the ball first, the Warriors midfield were humming. They looked the hungrier side and brought a tenacity the Zebras didn't match. Meanwhile the Zebras were caught flat footed in the middle. Too often passes weren’t connecting in the middle of the park. It’s always going to be a long day in the office when you can win the turnovers but the next pass doesn’t hit a teammate. The clock was moving slowly for the Zebras here, the amount of simple passes in the midfield they could connect were few. [caption id="attachment_12476" align="alignnone" width="652"] Solstice Photography[/caption]
Depth of Defensive Lines
Early in the piece, it was the Warriors defence was looking the worse for wear. Some doozies in playing the ball out, exposed their net in a way sunburn on a hot summer’s day exposes a lack of using sunscreen. However, it was the Warriors defence who left a statement on the match. Olympia were able to keep a clean sheet against the Zebras. A huge statement, as they became the first side to keep the Zebras at bay this season. Both sides have shown strong defence throughout the year. With goals against at roughly a goal each game for both, it was always going to be an area of interest. Despite the similarities of this being an area of strength, both approached the match differently. For the Warriors, it was to sit deeper in the park, not allowing space to be exposed in behind and to always play out on the deck. The opposite was so for the Zebras, who insisted on a high line throughout the 90 minutes and were happy to play a longer ball out from the back for a quick release forward. The deeper line in all likelihood allowed the Warriors to keep injured captain Maddie Black on the park for longer had she been turning and chasing the ball more often. Not only was it a move considering their personnel, but it meant the Zebras were unable to utilise the space behind the defence as they’ve done so clinically all season. Unfortunately for the Zebras, the gamble of playing a high line and hoping for forwards to leap offside didn’t pay dividends. Playing against the quick wingers Olympia have at their disposal will make most defences look slow. The Zebras defence were left in a position no defence wants to be in, playing a game of Chasings with the likes of Bonnie Davies and Madison Chambers. [caption id="attachment_12478" align="alignnone" width="626"] Jenna Farrow had a quality game in the Warriors net- Solstice Photography[/caption]