Welcome to the Friday Forecast ahead of an enormous, long weekend of local football. With five cup finals to look forward to, it’s sure to be an action-packed feast of football, as sides strive to write their names into the history books. Let's dive into what awaits us.
Familiar Foe Stands Before Strikers Bid For History
For the fifth time in the last eight years, it will be the Devonport Strikers and South Hobart meeting in the Lakolsejac Cup Final. The two sides have now met in 2016, 2018, 2019 and then once again last season in the 2022 decider. The Strikers won in 2016, 2018 and 2022, but South Hobart managed to turn the tables in 2019 in what proved a highly dramatic game.
Devonport have been the dominant side in the Lakoseljac Cup across recent years. This will be their sixth final appearance from the past eight seasons. They’ve won four of those and lost just once, which was to South Hobart in 2019. They will be striving to do what no club has ever done before and win three Lakoseljac Cups in a row, having won the past two editions.
Prior to that recent run of Devonport dominance, it was South Hobart who were the dominant force, winning it fives time between 2008 and 2015. Both sides have a total of six Lakoseljac Cups and so a win would move either side level with Olympia on 7 on the overall tally, with Glenorchy Knights still the most successful side in the competition’s history with eight victories.
On form, you’d have to give the edge to the Strikers. They currently sit atop the NPL table, undefeated with an 8-1-0 record. The last time they lost a game in any competition was Round 2 of the 2022 NPL Tasmania season, a streak of some 37 matches across all competitions! They currently sit 11 points clear of South Hobart, whom they have met twice so far this season, with Devonport triumphant on both occasions. They won the Summer Cup Final, 2-1, before winning 2-1 at Darcy Street in their Round 5 league meeting. Both times have seen Devonport reduced to 10 men, but it has not been enough to stop them.
This is a side that just knows how to win football games, it has perfected the art form. Even when they aren’t at their best, this side just seems to always find a way. They’ve shown they’re vulnerable, the Clarence Zebras have given them some major issues this season, yet each time they’ve avoided defeat. In a cup final where sides will need to dig deep into the mental recesses, this is a side that will be packed with belief and should enjoy an edge over South in this regard. The 3-0 drubbing they inflicted on South in this game 12 months ago will also give them further confidence.
Whilst South haven’t hit it consistently enough, they demonstrated in their 6-2 thumping of the Glenorchy Knights at the Quarter Final stage, that their ceiling remains extremely high. Consistency has eluded them, however, as demonstrated by their league record where they’ve posted a 4-2-3 record and will enter this one off the back of a 5-4 defeat to the Clarence Zebras.
This is a side capable of getting red hot and playing anyone off the park though, the issue is they’ve generally run pretty hot and cold from half to half, let alone week to week. Their best is good enough to defeat Devonport and claim the cup, but it will take an almighty effort and consistency within the game they’ve not shown often enough. Still, whilst the defence has looked shaky, their attack led by the brilliant Nick Morton, who has hat-tricks in last two starts, has the capacity to fire them to victory if they can find a way to sort themselves out at the back. There isn't a footballer in the state in better form than Morton heading into this game, and he is someone who relishes the big occasions.
Also on the line in addition to the Silverware is the highly coveted place in the Australia Cup Round of 32 that will thrust the victor onto the national stage, and potentially see a game against A-League opposition as we saw last season, with Wellington Phoenix travelled to Valley Road.
The stage is set for a thrilling decider, the Strikers have swept all before them and stand on the precipice of Tasmanian Footballing history, but standing in their way is that old familiar foe, who they’ve enjoyed a wonderful modern rivalry with. The stakes simply couldn’t be higher.
Defending Champion’s Face Current League Leaders In Women’s Final
In the Women’s Statewide Cup Final, it will be Launceston United taking on South Hobart, in a battle between the current Cup holders and the currrent WSL frontrunners.
Launceston United have contested the past two Statewide Cup deciders, splitting them, with a 3-1 loss to Olympia in 2021 before avenging that and downing the Kingborough Lions 3-1 last season. Indeed 3-1 has become rather a common scoreline in the Statewide Cup Final, with four of the last five deciders ending in that score. This will be South Hobart’s first-ever appearance in the Statewide Cup Final and is their first chance at a major piece of Statewide silverware.
We have a fair idea of what to expect on Monday given that the sides played in the Super League as recently as last Sunday. That match ended locked in a stalemate at 0-0, though that certainly didn’t mean it was a match that lacked for entertainment. Jenna Farrow and Jazlin Venn were absolutely immense in goals for their respective sides, and the lack of goals was certainly not a product of a lack of scoring chances. Both keepers will need to be at their best once again in the Cup Final, with a game of fine margins expected off the back of Sunday’s arm wrestle, but both goalkeepers have firmly demonstrated they can be counted on if called into action.
The sides have met one more time in 2023, back in Round 4 at Floorworld Park. South Hobart won 2-0 and produced possibly their best performance of the season in that game. South’s outstanding midfield pairing of Lucy Roberts and Pishon Choi led the way as they bossed the game from the engine room. United clamped down on this area last Sunday, and they will need to negate their influence once more on Monday.
South Hobart probably shaded the scoring chances on Sunday and had more play in dangerous areas, but the excellent central defensive pairing of Clark and Hill kept them at bay, and the more South pushed up the field, the more room was left in behind for the likes of Marten and Smith to run into. Of course, South’s own defensive pairing of Cooling and Newell were also standouts and ensured that weren’t hurt on the counterattack by that speedy duo. With KGV offering longer dimensions than Darcy Street, this is a tactical battle that we may well see become even more pronounced and important to the final result.
South Hobart will enter this one as favourites based on their superior record in the league, they are undefeated this year, as well as the 2-0 win they achieved away at Floorworld Park in the first meeting of the sides. They’ve had the more impressive season to date, but last Sunday showed these sides are extremely tightly matched and the defending Champions are still a force to be reckoned with.
If there is one weakness in the South side, it can lack a clinical edge. It cost them the Summer Cup Final back in March, when they lost a game to Zebras they largely controlled and they don’t always translate territorial dominance into goals. United by contrast have shown an ability to score goals from nowhere. Dani Gunton has made a habit of scoring long-range goals and in a match like this, where one moment could decide the entire contest, that's a handy ace to have up your sleeve.
This is a Cup Final that could go either way and it’s a match-up well and truly worthy of the occasion. They have been the two stand-out sides in the State over the past 2 years now. They were the top two sides in the WSL standings last season and they occupy the top two spots once again this year. Given the random nature of the Cup draw, the best two sides playing off in a final isn’t as common as you might expect. So this is one to be savoured, and if we get a match as compelling as last weekend, then we are in for a treat.
Future Stars On Display in Underage Finals
In addition to the senior finals that will take place over the weekend, there will be a trio of underage finals, with the Boys and Girls Under 17’s and Under 21s deciders also set to be contested. Two of these are new additions to the footballing calendar.
In the Under 17 Girls Cup Final, to kick things off on Monday, Launceston City will play against South Hobart.
Launceston City are yet to concede a goal and won their way through to the final with a 3-0 win over the Kingborough Lions in the quarter-finals before Sophie Matthews fired them past the Clarence Zebras 1-0 in the Semi-Finals.
South Hobart meanwhile performed an absolute miracle to make the final, rallying from 3-0 down against the Devonport Strikes after 50 minutes in the Semi-Final, to win it 4-3 without the need for extra time. They previously defeated Taroona 2-0 in the Quarterfinals. With this being a brand new competition, the winner of this game will be the inaugural champions and etch their name into history.
That will also be the case in the Under 17 Boys Final, which will pit Launceston United up against the Clarence Zebras.
United stormed past the Glenorchy Knights 7-0 in the Quarter Finals, before facing a much tighter affair in the Semis, with Eric Piri Piri scoring the lone goal in the 99th minute as they downed the highly fancied South Hobart 1-0.
The Zebras needed penalties in the Quarter Final stage to sneak past Hobart City Beachside, winning the shoot-out 3-0 after a 1-1 draw in regulation before overrunning Launceston City 3-1 in an impressive performance on the road in their Semi-Final.
The Statewide Under 21s is not a new addition to the calendar, (though it has swung between Under 21s and 20s) but the presence of South East United is certainly new. They’ve proved the competition bolters, making a stunning run to the final with a thumping 8-2 win over the Kingborough Lions backed up by a 3-1 road win over Launceston City. Patrick Quinlan helped lead the charge, scoring five goals across the two games for his side who now look to complete their Cinderella run.
Standing in their way are the Devonport Strikers, whose youth graduates into the NPL in recent years suggests they will be a side with no shortage of quality. They beat South Hobart in a massive Round of 16 clash of probably the two biggest contenders, before downing Burnie United 7-0 and Riverside Olympic 4-2 in the Quarter and Semi-Finals respectively. They’ll be favourites to claim the silverware, but won’t want to take this free-scoring South East United side lightly.
Statewide Cup Schedule
Venue: KGV
Saturday 10 June
Under 17 Boy’s Statewide Cup Final
Launceston United v Clarence Zebras, 11:00am
Under 21’s Statewide Cup Final
Devonport Strikers v South East United, 2:00pm
Lakoseljac Cup Final
Devonport Strikers v South Hobart, 5:00pm
Monday 12 June
Under 17 Girl’s Statewide Cup Final
Launceston City v South Hobart, 12:00pm
Women’s Statewide Cup Final
Launceston United v South Hobart, 3:00pm