The match of the Round in the Super League this week could prove to be a pivotal game in determining the 2024 league title, with the ladder-leading Devonport Strikers hosting the second-placed Kingborough Lions in a top-of-the-table showdown at Valley Road. The Strikers currently enjoy an eight-point buffer atop the league, and a win could make it an almost unassailable gap with just six rounds left to play.
Strikers Coach Tom Ballantyne agreed it was a massive clash for the side.
“This weekend is huge in the context of the league. A win will put us a lot closer to where we want to be, so it's about making sure we do our job this weekend,” he said.
“If we win this weekend, it is very much one hand on the title, it would take a monumental shift for things to change from there.”
Whilst a draw would likely be a good enough result for his side, Ballantyne refuted suggestions that his side would settle for a point if the game was level heading into the final 15 minutes.
“We want to win every game we play and the girls have played like that this year, they want to win everything. We will continue to try and push, obviously, a draw probably suits us more than it suits Kingborough, but if they’re pushing for a win it may leave some space that we can exploit,” he said.
Ballantyne was pleased with his side’s form and especially their performance last weekend that saw them run out 6-0 victors over Glenorchy Knights.
"The Girls have been exceptional this year, and that showed last weekend against Knights." he said
"They played really well, controlled the game controlled the tempo, we had numerous shots and looked really good whilst doing it.”
The Strikers boss felt the enjoyment the group demonstrated in playing together was an intrinsic part of their success this season.
“It massively correlates to what you do on a Saturday, you’re much more willing to run for the people you enjoy playing with rather than people you might have animosity against,” he said.
“They are getting more and more comfortable with the structures we’ve put in place and getting more in sync with each other's movements as well and that just down to the more time you spend together on the field you get a better understanding of where people are going to run, when they are going to run.”
The two teams have met twice this season, with the Strikers winning 2-1 on both occasions, the most recent being in the Cup Final which went all the way to extra time, games in which Ballantyne said the Lion's speed in attack was the thing that most jumped out to him.
“I think it's their playing style we’ve got to be wary of, they play very quickly on the counterattack, they’re very quick up front. All four of the players they’ve used there are fast and direct, so it's that transitional style they play with at the moment we have to be very wary of. We control the ball in most games we play in, which sometimes can leave us exposed at the back, so we’ve got to be aware of how we control those moments and manage that transition against us," he said.
It’s a big test, it’s always a big test in any game you play against fast opposition, it's always difficult to control the space that you leave behind. And that showed in the Cup final we played against them, they scored on the counter in that space we left behind.“
For the Lions, this is their last stand, they simply have no margin for error and must take the three points if they have any chance to keep their title hopes alive.
Lions star Danielle Kannegiesser acknowledged it was now or never for her side
“Absolutely, it’s a must-win game, it’s a huge road trip for us tomorrow. It’s a critical 3 points required if we want to contest for the silverware this season,” she said.
Kannegiesser felt the side had moved on from the Cup Final heartbreak and wouldn’t be using it as added motivation.
“It’s fair to say we’re over the cup loss, as hard as a loss is to take especially contesting silverware, and we are now focused on staying in touch with challenging the top teams," she said.
"Especially Devonport, they are the team to challenge they have been outstanding this season. They haven’t lost a game. We’ve pushed them to the dying minutes in all encounters this season and that’s something we are super proud of,” she said.
Kannegiesser said the side had learned lessons from their prior meetings with the Strikers.
"The lessons are our mental toughness and resilience, which we’ve grown and learnt in leaps and bounds this season. We will take this into the weekend," she said.
"For us it’s all about staying focused and engaged for the full 90 plus added time. That is huge when Devonport are such an experienced team and they can capitalise on a ‘sleep’ or mistake easily."
The Lions title hopes took a ding last weekend when they were held to a 2-2 draw by Launceston United, with some wasteful finishing seeing them ceding further ground. Kannegiesser agreed that the match was a harsh reminder of the price you can pay for not taking scoring chances when they present themselves.
"It was a very harsh reminder." she said "We had our opportunities that game and unfortunately didn’t convert what we needed to. Our mistakes cost us. We are really disappointed with the draw but we can’t change that result. We are looking at moving forward and producing the best performances we can and collecting as many points as possible for the remaining games."
In other games in Round 14, the Glenorchy Knights will look to bounce back from a tough outing against the Strikers last weekend against a Taroona FC side who should be filled with confidence off the back of their first win of the season last weekend against Riverside.
Finally, Riverside will be back at home as they take on the defending champions South Hobart, who have no margin for error if they are to make a late run to defend their title, currently sitting 9 points behind the Strikers on the table ahead of the weekend's fixtures.
Round 14
Saturday 20 July
Riverside Olympic v South Hobart, Windsor Park, 12:00pm
Devonport Strikers v Kingborough Lions, Valley Road, 12:00pm
Glenorchy Knights v Taroona FC, KGV, 2:30pm