Welcome to the Friday Forecast for Round 8 of the MyState Bank Women's Super League. After a week off for Statewide Cup Semi-Final action, we return to the league where South Hobart remains the front-runner and the chasing pack are looking to reel them in, though title rivals are unlikely to make up any ground this weekend and instead need to ensure they don't fall further behind.
Team of the Month
The season's second team of the month has been selected. This was based on performances between rounds 4-7 of the season.
Unsurprisingly South Hobart are heavily represented given they went a perfect 4/4 in that period and no other side won more than two of their four fixtures. Jenna Farrow has made an immediate impact since her arrival and slots into goals, whilst Bridie Cooling and Sophie Westwood take their place in defence, playing vital roles in South conceding just twice in the past four games. Both are also accomplished on the ball and are important to the way they play out from the back.
The primary strength of the South side lies in the midfield where Lucy Roberts has majestically pulled the strings and is paired with Pishon Choi, who earns selection for the second month in a row as she continues her dazzling campaign that must have her right up there in contention for individual awards come the end of season.
Chelsea Segger has stood tall at the back for the Lions and she is emerging as a quality defender for them and she slots into the defence alongside Laura Dickinson, who chalked up three assists with her marauding play down the right-hand side for Launceston United.
The attack features a front four of some truly prolific goalscorers. Last season's Rising star, Eliana Diafokeris has 5 goals and 2 assists in the last month, whilst American import, Courtney Marten has fired up and scored seven times for United.
Devonport have dropped away slightly, but there is no slowing Jazmin White who scored 7 times in this period to take her season tally to a league-high 10 goals, whilst with 6 goals and 3 assists in her last 4 games, Laura Davis has well and truly returned to her best over the past month and she takes the final spot in the side.
Beaten Semi-Finalists Look To Bounce Back
The Round will begin at the Kingston Twin Ovals on Saturday, with the Kingborough Lions hosting the Devonport Strikers.
With Lightwood Park out of action, and the Lions forced to play their home games at KGV so far, this represents their first real home game of the season and they will want to take advantage of that factor against a Strikers side whose last road trip South was somewhat of a disaster. They fell 5-1 to the Clarence Zebras in their worst performance of the year and they can't afford a repeat here or they risk falling 9 points behind South Hobart, who will be expected to win on Sunday. They had no problems handling the Lions when they met at Valley Road though, scoring a comfortable 3-0 win in Round 3.
The Strikers have suffered back-to-back defeats at home in the past fortnight, though both came against the current front runners in South Hobart and last week they were without Ponting in goals which hurt their cause. A win over Launceston United the start prior shows they are still playing at a decent level and will enter this fixture as the favourites.
Like the Strikers, the Lions enter this off the back of a pair of defeats to the same side, having fallen to Launceston United in the league and then cup over the past fortnight. Both were close-fought games but ultimately they couldn't get the job done. The Lions have certainly made some strides in 2023 and look a much stronger side than they did last season, but a big scalp has alluded them so far. A win over the Strikers would be confirmation of the improvement from the group and whilst you can commend their efforts in some of those defeats, honourable losses to the best sides simply don't compare to that winning feeling.
United Seeking To String Wins
Later on Saturday, Launceston United will host the Clarence Zebras at Birch Avenue in a rematch of one of the most entertaining matches we have seen this season.
The pair met back in Round 3 in a truly wild game that saw the score shift from 1-0 in the 53rd minute, to 4-2 by the 61st! The quality of goals scored in that game was absolutely incredible as United rallied back from 2-1 down, responding to adversity in the best possible fashion. If we get a game even half as entertaining this time around we will be doing well. Since that day both sides have won 2 and lost 2 and they now sit in second and fourth place on the table.
Fresh off their Semi-Final triumph last weekend, the defending Champions United now return their focus to the league, where they have fallen away slightly, but still remain firmly in contention. They have the firepower to make another title challenge and the Zebras defence must be on their toes. Lucy Smith has cooled off slightly after her lightning start to the season, but Courtney Marten has picked up the goalscoring load and along with Gunton, it remains a formidable front three. With Adilat Otto reinforcing the midfield, they have plenty of weapons to challenge a Zebras side who have looked vulnerable at the back this season against pacey attackers, something United have in spades.
Clarence have some weapons of their own however, and whilst the departure of Caitlin Stalker has dented their attack, youngsters Millie Baric and Eliana Diafokeris have stepped up in her absence. The pair have scored 8 goals between them in the past four matches and are emerging as quality attacking players in this league. They just need their defence to keep the number of goals they need to score manageable if they are to head up the highway and pull off the upset on Saturday, which is easier said than done against this United team.
South Loook To Solidify Lead Against Pirates
On Sunday, in the final game of the round, it will be top v bottom as South Hobart takes on Taroona at Darcy Street.
This looks a tough one for Taroona and South will enter it as overwhelming favourites. South are going from strength to strength and have opened up a handy gap on top of the table in addition to storming to the Cup final with a 5-2 win over Devonport last weekend. That might well have been their best performance of the season and depending on how Saturday's fixtures play out, this match could potentially offer them a chance to extend their lead atop the table. There are no obvious weaknesses in this South side and they have stars across every line of the pitch.
It's a stark contrast with Taroona, who remain rooted to the foot of the table with a -39 goal difference and are enduring a tough season. They were already up against it before they copped some major injuries, which has only made things harder for them. They've had a fortnight now to reset and they will hope to put their start to the year behind them and start to build into the season from this week.
Last time the sides met, it was a rout as South stormed to a 9-0 victory at Kelvedon Park, so keeping the score much closer this time around will be the aim for the Pirates, whilst South will be eyeing a chance to bolster their already league-leading goal difference.
Round 8
Saturday 27 May
Kingborough Lions v Devonport Strikers, 2:00pm, Kingston Twin Ovals
Launceston United v Clarence Zebras, 4:15pm, Birch Avenue
Sunday 28 May
South Hobart v Taroona, 2:00pm, Darcy Street