The Statewide Cup Finals are officially set. In the Lakoseljac Cup it will be Devonport taking on South Hobart and in the Women’s, Statewide Cup Kingborough will play Launceston United. That follows a closer than expected Semi Final weekend of Football as by large the Cup clashes proved far tighter than recent league games between the participating sides had. It even saw a stunning reversal from the Lions Women’s side, defeating a Strikers side that had vanquished them 7-1 just a week earlier and earning them the chance to play in a Cup Final that will be hosted at their home venue of Clennett’s Lightwood Park on Monday June 13.
Lions Turn Tables On Strikers
That’s where we will start, because it was undoubtedly the biggest storyline to come out of the weekend’s action. Just seven days after being defeated 7-1 by Devonport, the Kingborough Lions flipped the script and advanced to the Women’s Statewide Cup Final with a 2-1 victory over the Strikers at Clennett’s Lightwood Park. In a stunning reversal that well and truly proves the old adage, that a week is a long time in football, the Lions changed their approach to blunt the Strikers attack and pulled off a stunning result.
The earlier indicators were that Devonport would be too strong once again, taking the lead via a deflected strike from Nicole Mettam and having the best of the first half exchanges as they won the territory battle.
But the Lions have been a strong Cup side in recent years and were to prove far tougher to put away this week, getting back on terms when Amy Ollington got in behind the Strikers defence and fired home truly on 23 minutes.
Having been torn apart by Jazmin White in that game a week earlier, the Lions defended deeper this week to deny her the room in behind she had thrived on. It certainly made a difference to the threat of the Strikers, though they did still create enough scoring chances to feel they should’ve scored more than the 1 they managed.
They were made to pay for that lack of a clinical edge when Cara Lashmar scored midway through the second half to give the home side the lead somewhat against the run of play. The Strikers pushed hard for it, but the goals simply weren’t flowing as they had a week earlier and the final whistle would end up beating their push for a second.
The big thing here for the Lions is they did it without Laura Davis. So often in recent times the Lions fortunes have largely followed their star striker, if she didn’t fire them to victory, then they just weren’t winning games. To win such a big game with her absent shows they are making strides, though no doubt they will desperately be hoping she is fit for the final all the same.
It will be the Lions third appearance in a Cup decider in recent years, having made the final in both 2018 and 2019 before ultimately falling short. They will be hoping that it’s a case of third time lucky.
United Overcome Plucky Pirates
Awaiting the Lions in the final will be Launceston United, who maintained their perfect run in season 2022 and advanced through to the final with a 3-1 win. They were pushed by a much-improved Taroona outfit and didn’t have it all their own way at Kelvedon Park, but a second-half brace from Dani Gunton saw them over the line and back into the Cup Final for the second time in as many seasons.
Alexis Mitchell opened the scoring for United midway through the first half as the visitors had the better of the opening 45 minutes and threatened to extend the lead in the run into halftime with La Monte looking lively and her side firmly in the ascendancy. But the game was then flipped on its head just after halftime as Taroona came out strong from the sheds and quickly levelled from a corner.
But United were not deterred and they responded just as they have to every challenge thrown at them so far this year, eventually hitting back on the scoreboard and regaining control of the contest. Gunton was ultimately the difference maker, hitting a double to secure their progression. She finished off a Reitsema cross perfectly into the bottom corner to restore her side’s lead before getting her second following up a rebound after Ottavi had denied La Monte.
It was enough to secure the 3-1 victory and send United through to the decider for the second time since their ascension to the WSL, where they will hope to one better than last year’s narrow loss to Olympia.
Strikers Hold Out Improved Lions
The Devonport Strikers punched their ticket through to the Lakoseljac Cup Final for a fifth time in seven seasons, as they overcame a dogged Kingborough Lions outfit 1-0 at Valley Road. Finally granted a home cup tie in front of the Valley Road faithful, the Strikers were made to work hard for their progression, finding a Lions side they had beaten 4-0 and 5-1 in two prior meetings a far more stubborn unit to break down this time around. But the man who has been at the heart of this Dynastic run from the Strikers, skipper Kieran Mulraney would eventually provide the breakthrough, rising highest from a Taylor Last corner just past the hour mark and thumping a header into the back of the net.
The Lions had clearly prioritized a sharper focus on keeping the Strikers at bay through a more organized defensive approach and for an hour that approach frustrated the home side. But it also meant they were less likely to score one of their own and after Mulraney’s goal it did feel as if they were unlikely to be able to click into attack mode and pull it back.
It was a much-improved showing from the Lions after two disappointing performances in their two prior hit outs with Devonport and certainly a far tighter clash than they provided a week earlier. But once again they just fell short, which is probably to be expected given the sheer depth of this impressive Strikers outfit who will be tough to stop in their bid to claim yet another Cup triumph. This will now be their fifth Lakoseljac Cup Final appearance since 2016 and the fourth time they will be pitted against South Hobart, a ledger they currently lead 2-1.
South Smash Warriors
Whilst the 3 other games across the weekend offered more even battles than previous weeks, over at Empire Couriers Park it was a similar story to the match at Darcy Street a week prior, as South Hobart comfortably accounted for the Olympia Warriors. South hit the accelerator just prior to halftime to storm away with a heavy 6-1 win.
Despite finding themselves on the back foot for much of the first half, the Warriors had some hope in this one with the game locked at 1-1 for most of the opening half after Joel Sammut had scored a fine equalizer with a thumping first-time finish to cancel out Luke Bighin’s headed opener.
But with the game in the balance at 1-1, South Hobart struck a pair of fatal blows on either side of the halftime break to take control of the tie. Lachie Semmler put South back ahead in the final minute of the first half as he buried a rebound from close range before Sam Berezansky struck just moments into the second half to make it 3-1 and see South suddenly powering away with the contest.
Jacob Lancaster extended their lead midway through the half before Bradley Lakoseljac chimed in with a brace in the space of five minutes to ensure an emphatic 6-1 final scoreline to follow their thumping 7-0 win in the NPL last weekend.
The victory ensures South will meet the Strikers in the decider for the fourth time in seven years, where they will hope to add another Lakoseljac Cup trophy to their cabinet, something they managed five times in the years 2008-2015, but only once since. That came in the most recent of the three deciders the pair have played, with South winning 2-0 in the 2019 final.
