Welcome to the Weekend Wash-Up for Round 14 of the MyState Bank Women’s Super League season. Following this weekend’s action, we now hit the pause button for a fortnight for the Women’s World Cup. When we resume, South Hobart will do so with a 12-point buffer on top after they extended their lead with a win in the Statewide Cup Final rematch. Elsewhere the Strikers scored another thumping win and a pair of fine strikes delivered the Safari Derby to the Clarence Zebras.
South Shut Out United In Cup Final Rematch
South Hobart downed Launceston United 1-0 in a rematch of the Statewide Cup Final at Darcy Street to extend their lead to 12 points atop the league table.
This was a match with very few goalscoring chances. It was reminiscent of the second half of the Cup Final, where South Hobart were playing with the lead and content just to grind their way to the finish line. They didn’t have the lead in this game till much later on, but their position in the league meant they were not the ones needing to chase the game or take any unnecessary risks. They again controlled the game at the back and in midfield, dominating the territorial battle even if it didn’t convert into clear goalscoring chances. Credit must go to the United defence for this, led brilliantly by Katie Hill as they had plenty of balls into the penalty area to deal with, but held firm for most the afternoon.
They couldn’t get much going back the other way though, with Bridie Cooling cutting off many potential counterattacks and the South Hobart midfield controlling proceedings.
Neither keeper had a particularly tough save to make in the first half, Venn kept out Booth’s long-range shot, and there were some dangerous balls played across the face of goals, but there was no moment you could point to and say that should’ve been a goal.
The introduction of Josie Mamic proved the most significant moment of the match. She provided a directness and threat that had been lacking up till her injection in the contest at the hour mark.
She immediately caused problems and gave South Hobart the chance to open the scoring when she won a penalty when Venn caught her in the back in the box.
The usually unerringly dependable Lucy Roberts blasted wide from the penalty spot though and it remained locked at 0-0.
Five minutes later they would find the lead regardless, as Sophie Westwood curled a wonderful long-range ball for Mamic to run onto. She drew the defenders and keeper to her, knocking it past Venn for an onrushing Pishon Choi to apply the finishing touch into the empty net from 6 yards out and make it 1-0 to the hosts.
South almost made certain of the result in the 80th minute only to be denied by some absolute robbery from Venn, somehow keeping out Chamber’s close range shot with a wonderful reflex save with the fingertips.
South wouldn’t need the second goal though, as they comfortably saw the game out to claim a 1-0 win. The win was their seventh consecutive clean sheet and another masterful defence display. Jenna Farrow was not called upon in a meaningful way all afternoon, so total was their control of the game. They just shut the defending champions out, ground their way to victory and took a step closer to mathematically sealing the title.
Strikers Hammer Taroona To Solidify Second Spot
The Devonport Strikers picked up where they left off a week earlier, storming to a second consecutive thumping victory, this time downing Taroona 7-0 at Valley Road.
A week after firing eight goals past the Lions, the Strikers continued their free-scoring ways with Jazmin White scoring yet another hat-trick. It takes her season tally to a remarkable 24 goals, which is double that of the competition’s next best!
The Strikers were dominant from the outset and threatened to take the lead on several occasions in the opening quarter of an hour. A besieged Izzy Ottavi was doing her utmost to keep it level though, including a brilliant diving save to deny White in a 1 v 1 situation.
An offside flag muted Strikers celebrations moments later, but the game had a feeling of inevitability about it and eventually, the sheer weight of pressure being applied saw the dam wall burst.
White opened the scoring with a quite brilliant run and finish, taking the ball 50 yards out before tearing past multiple defenders on a diagonal run before blasting home a spectacular goal.
Her second was more regulation, finishing off Nikita Boyd’s nice build-up play five minutes later to double the advantage. Boyd herself made it 3-0 five minutes on from that, finding a gap at Ottavi’s near post and sneaking one home.
The attacks continued to flow through Boyd and she had her second of the afternoon when she won and converted a penalty to make it 4-0 at the half-hour mark.
Ottavi made some quality saves to keep it that way at halftime, but the chances continued to flow in the second half and when Maddy Payne curled in a perfect shot in off the post it was 5-0 after 53 minutes.
More penalty problems would see the score blow out further, as twice Jazmin White was awarded spot kicks for being fouled in the box.
She converted the first one herself to reach her hat trick before allowing Abbie White to take the second, who likewise made no mistake to extend the score to 7-0.
That was how it ended, as the Strikers moved four points clear of Launceston United, though they do still have a game in hand. Given the way the Strikers are playing at present though, they appear in the box seat for a runner up finish.
Zebras Take Down Lions
A pair of thumping hits from Georgia Burt and Graciella Baez saw Clarence Zebras claim the Safari Derby, downing the Kingborough Lions 2-0 in their Sunday fixture.
Clarence Zebras made a fast start and took an early lead in just the fifth minute of the match. Some super work down the left from Millie Baric, saw her playing a perfectly cut-back pass to the top of the box where Georgia Burt was arriving to drive home a thumping opening goal. It was a rocket of a shot and just the start the Zebras were after.
They almost doubled the lead on 15 minutes when Eliza Wylie stormed in behind but Josie Rose was sharp off her line and got a piece of her shot to see it slide just wide.
The Lions then started to get on top and create some dangerous looks at the other end. Pinkiewicz did well to keep out a long-range shot from Laura Davis and she also kept out chances from Lashmar and Hood, shutting down shots at her near post.
The Zebras then doubled their advantage heading into the halftime break courtesy of a wonderful strike from Graciella Baez.
Eliza Wylie played her in and she ran to the top of the box before firing a stunning shot that left Rose with absolutely no chance as it bent into the far corner. It was somewhat against the run of play and would prove a hammer blow for the Lions hopes.
The visitors tried to get going in attack in the second half and find a goal that might spark a fightback, but the Zebras were doing a good job shutting down the dangerous areas and tightly marking the likes of Davis and Lashmar.
The Lions best chance arrived in the 84th minute, but Pinkiewicz was alert to turn aside Kannegiesser’s powerfully hit shot and prevent a potentially nervy finish.
The final whistle arrived soon thereafter, seeing the Zebras claim a thoroughly deserved three points. The victory sees them moving up into fourth place on the table, displacing the Lions and skipping three points clear of them, with a game in hand to boot.
Round 14
Devonport Strikers 7 (J.White 18” 24” 65” N.Boyd 26” 30” M.Payne 54” A.White 87”)
Taroona FC 0
South Hobart 1 (P.Choi 71”)
Launceston United 0
Clarence Zebras 2 (G.Burt 5” G.Baez 42”)
Kingborough Lions 0