Clarence have produced one of the shocks of the Women's State League season, beating the Kingborough Lions 2-1 at Lightwood Park.
Just eight days after a 5-0 defeat to the Lions in the Statewide Cup, Clarence showed plenty of grit and determination to flip the script and steal a memorable win. Just as in their cup matchup, goalkeeper Amelia Vandermiet was outstanding between the sticks, but this time she had ample support from a backline led superbly by Zara Dixon.
For the Lions, an injury to superstar striker Laura Davis added salt to the wounds of an unexpected loss. They sorely missed her finishing touches in this game and will be hoping for a quick recovery.
In the game's opening moments, it looked like Kingborough would simply continue on from their dominant cup performance. They controlled the possession right from the opening whistle, but struggled to find the easy avenues to goal that were readily available in their last matchup.
Instead, the Clarence backline dug deep and held the Lions to speculative long shots that caused no trouble for Vandermiet. They were rewarded handsomely in the game's 18th minute, when that solid defence saw them break quickly into attack for the opening goal.
A low cross from the left rolled through the top of the 18-yard box, and Lions keeper Erika Mackintosh came well off her line to collect it. Only problem was, her dive didn't quite take her far enough, and the ball beat her outstretched hand and went straight to Emily Grzinic who shot into an open goal to make it 1-0.
The goal seemed to further energise the visitors, as they continued to hound their opposition. Kingborough still had the run of the play, but Clarence attacked every 50-50 contest with gusto and refused to give up any easy chances.
A pair of last-ditch blocks from Dixon, first on Davis and then on Emille Tatton, kept their clean sheet in tact. Once again, those defensive efforts proved to be worth their weight in gold, as Clarence doubled their lead on the counter just before half time.
A long ball out of defence found Grzinic in an acre of space on the right, and she didn't hesitate to drive into the area and fire. Her shot was a bullet into the top corner of the net and Mackintosh was helpless to stop it.
With a two-goal buffer and just minutes until the break, Clarence let their guard down slightly and Kingborough almost responded immediately. In the dying moments Tatton created two of the Lions' best chances of the game with a pair of shots from very close range, but was left wanting as one went wide and the other was well saved by Vandermiet.
Two goals down and already facing an uphill battle, things only got tougher for the Lions as they came out of half time without the attacking presence of Davis. She would watch the second half from the bench with ice on her right hamstring, and could only look on as her teammates made a promising start after the break.
Fresh substitute Mia Cane looked dangerous as soon as she stepped on the park, and she forced an early save from Vandermiet with a long-range effort. Kingborough continued to dominate the possession, but it wasn't until the hour mark that they finally found a breakthrough.
A rare lapse from the Clarence defence saw a through ball straight down the middle find Leila Hickman in behind her marker. She carried the ball all the way into the penalty area and slid a shot past the keeper and into the bottom corner to make it 2-1.
The last half hour of the game saw Kingborough dominate across the park and create a plethora of chances for an equaliser. None were good enough to beat the irrepressible Vandermiet in goal, though, as the Clarence skipper single-handedly saved her side time and time again.
Four shots on target from Cane, a Hickman blast followed by a Horgan shot off the post, a long-range effort from Dadswell and at least a half-dozen other chances-- there were plenty of close calls, but Vandermiet was able to repel them all as Clarence held on for a memorable win.
They'll look to make it two on the trot when they host a struggling South Hobart side next week, while the Lions will be sweating on the fitness of Laura Davis ahead of a crucial clash with the Hobart Zebras.