The Round 3 Forecast
Welcome to the Friday forecast ahead of Round 3 of the Women’s Super League season. It’s been an entertaining start to the season on the pitch, with some compelling clashes lit up by a few truly stunning goals. The recently revived Goal of the Year competition is certainly going to be quite the highlights reel at season’s end. The same goes for Save of the year, where the league’s top glove women have excelled through the opening fortnight.
In terms of team performances, you’d have to say that on the whole the competition has looked remarkably equal so far. The defending Champions Launceston United have picked up where they left off and are still the team to beat, but I don’t think they are untouchable by any means. We will learn more about them this week as they travel to take on the Clarence Zebras. South Hobart and Devonport both look well equipped to make a title push and will be eyeing off first place on the table if they can defeat Taroona and the Lions respectively and United were to slip up. With a Cup weekend to follow this one, wherever the sides sit at the conclusion of Round 3, they will be for at least a fortnight.
United Facing Stern Zebras Test
We'll start with the game of the round, which will take place at Wentworth Park with the Clarence Zebras hosting the defending champions Launceston United.
United haven’t missed a beat so far in their campaign, despite being under new management. The transition from the Frank Compton/Lynden Prince duo to Nick Rawlinson has been seamless and United have comfortably accounted for both the Lions and Taroona in the opening fortnight.
They had some holes to plug heading into the season, with the departure of some key movers from last year but seem to have done a good job bringing in replacements. Courtney Marten looks lively in attack and a geninune match-winner, along with young Lucy Smith who has impressed. In net Jazlin Venn has looked assured in goals, which will please Rawlinson given the difficulty of the position and the importance Sydney Carnie had to their success last year.
Things are about to get tougher for the Champions however with this road trip to take on a Zebras side who have looked pretty well organized so far. Defensively they have been sound and with stars like Gadon and Burt in the engine room, they have a midfield that can seize control of games. They could easily have taken something away from Valley Road in week 1 and whilst it took them some time to solve the great wall of Izzy Ottavi in the Taroona net last weekend, they persevered and eventually the goals came.
This should be a fascinating game and I think we will learn a lot about the 2023 version of United and just how well equipped they are to defend it following this 90 minutes.
Strikers Look To Shake Off Fade Out
The Round will open at Valley Road on Saturday with the Devonport Strikers hosting the Kingborough Lions.
The Strikers will be looking to shake off the disappointment of last week’s second half fade out and get back to winning ways here. On the surface a 3-3 draw away to South Hobart is a perfectly fine result, but when you lead 3-0 in a game and don’t take maximum points, you’re going to be disappointed. It could well be one they look back on at the end of the year and rue. Nevertheless the standard of their play has been high through the opening fortnight and this appears a side ready to push for the title. Maximising their home ground advantage will pivotal if they are to do that. Their home games provide an extra edge given the travel factor for visitors, but that obviously works both ways and makes their away games tougher. As such, making this place an absolute fortress will go a long way to 2023 success.
The Lions have copped an extremely tough opening set of fixtures and are yet to claim a point, but they’ve been competitive in both of their defeats. Narrow losses to both United and South Hobart away suggest improvement in the group and Devonport certainly can’t afford to take them lightly. Their strike pairing of Moutstatsos and Davis are a duo who will trouble any opponent but it’s at the back where the notable improvement has come. The defence has looked far more assured this season and the recent arrival of Monica Orlowski should continue to help further in that department. They’ve had some inconsistent play in goals for the past few years, but Erika Mackintosh has started the season in some really strong form and if she can maintain the level she has demonstrated so far in 2023, then the results will soon follow.
Pirates Out To Open Account Against South
Finally, we head to Kelvedon Park where Taroona FC will try to claim their first points of the year as they take on South Hobart.
For 75 minutes last week, the Pirates held firm against the Clarence Zebras. The dam wall eventually burst, but before the side seemed to run out of legs late on, Dunbabin and Lane were strong at the back and the midfield did a really good job of getting back to help out the defence to cut out passing lanes. It wasn’t a flawless defensive performance but when you have Izzy Ottavi in goals, that can paper over many cracks. Ottavi has been simply outstanding so far this year, indeed she has been somewhat of a human highlights reel through 2 weeks. Playing at this level she will give them a chance to take points in games they are being outplayed in and South Hobart certainly haven’t been the most clinical of sides so far this year when it comes to converting their chances.
Still this is one that South Hobart should be taking care of if they are legitimate title contendors. They showed a wonderful fighting spirit last week as they roared back into the contest against Devonport and showed the type of resolve any potential league champion has to have.
A Roberts/Swain/Choi midfield is arguably the strongest group in the competition and it’s been an area they’ve dominated the first two weeks. Ultimately though, you can control games as much as you like, but if you concede soft goals and don’t convert your chances it means very little. And it’s in those areas South need to sharpen up a little. In both the Summer Cup Final and against Devonport last week, they’ve largely controlled games and on balance of chances probably should have won both. Sharpen up in the penalty areas, and this side is well and truly good enough to win the title.
MyState Bank Women’s Super League
Round 3
Saturday 1 April
Devonport Strikers v Kingborough Lions, Valley Road, 12:15pm
Clarence Zebras v Launceston United, Wentworth Park, 2:30pm
Taroona FC v South Hobart, Kelvedon Park, 2:30pm