Lions Roar Into Statewide Cup Final

The Kingborough Lions are returning to the Statewide Cup Final after downing Olympia 3-1 at Lightwood Park on Saturday night. In another tight, hard fought battle between the pair, Laura Davis's second half brace proved the difference between the sides after Hanna Manuela had earlier handed the Lions the dream start with her first half volley. Olivia Bomford revived some hope for the Warriors, cutting the lead from 2-0 to 2-1 with her well taken free kick, but it was the Lions talisman Davis who would land the knock out blow when she fired home in stoppage time. The early exchanges indicated this would be a game largely run in midfield by Inocent Michael and Zoe Horgan respectively. The two were ever present on the ball throughout the game and determinedly drove the attack for their sides in outstanding individual performances. Madi Chambers was looming large and she got in behind a handful of times in the opening 20 minutes, but the Lions defence were well organised and marked those waiting her crosses in the middle tightly. It was on the half hour mark the game found its first breakthrough and it was Hanna Manuela who was the unlikely scorer. The central defender, who had an imperious night leading the back four, managed to get on the end of the corner and she volleyed her side into the lead. Bianca Parker almost responded in kind moment later but her effort rolled agonisingly wide before Phoebe Clifford saved the day with a superb goal line block to deny Michael the equaliser. Emile Tatton could have doubled the lead heading into the break, but Jenna Farrow was equal to the task and made herself big to close down the shot. The Lions have managed to slow down the Warriors usually devastating more successfully than anyone else in 2019 and again here they frustrated the usually free flowing Olympia side. They stifled their usual style by swarming the player in possession and pressing up, which was leading to some uncharacteristically poor turnovers from the Warriors when playing out from the back. Just after the hour mark the Lions made it 2-0 as Leila Hickman slid through a wonderful through ball for Laura Davis to run onto, and she made no mistake in picking out the bottom left hand corner, leaving Farrow no chance. That seemed to spark the Warriors back into life and the introduction of Olivia Bomford helped the Warriors pull one back and set up the tense finish. Stepping up from 25 yards out, Bomford hit a shot which had too much pace for Gardner to deal with, as it bent through her hands and stayed under the bar to cut the lead back to 2-1 with 15 left to play. But the Lions were defending as if their lives depended on it, the sheet work rate and willingness to throw bodies in the way gave Olympia little room to operate in around the penalty box. It would ultimately be the Lions who conjured the final goal of the game as Laura Davis was rewarded for her perseverance. Capitalising on some uncertainty at the back between Leszczynski and Farrow, she snuck in and then won the foot race back to the line before bundling home the sealer. It set of scenes of jubilation for the Lions players as they booked their ticket in the Cup final for the second time in 2 years. Having fallen to Taroona last season, this time they will be looking to go one better against the 2017 Champions in the Hobart Zebras. [caption id="attachment_11557" align="alignnone" width="693"] Solstice Photography[/caption] [caption id="attachment_11555" align="alignnone" width="687"] Solstice Photography[/caption]