Welcome to the Weekend Wash-up for Round 15 of the MyState Bank Women’s Super League. It was a weekend filled with some stunning individual performances that defined the games they were produced in. Jessie Williams showed she is still one of the best in the state, as she helped Taroona to a breakthrough win over the Lions. Jazlin Venn put in the goalkeeping performance of the season to secure a point for her Launceston United side against Devonport, whilst Josi Mamic ran riot in South Hobart’s victory over the Clarence Zebras on Sunday.
Williams Magic Helps Fire Pirates To Breakthrough Victory
Taroona broke through for their first victory of the season, as they stunned the Kingborough Lions 4-3 in a thrilling Friday Night clash. A quite brilliantly taken brace from former youth international Jessie Williams had the Pirates in the box seat before the Lions fought back to level things. Maeve Dunbabin would prove match-winner though, bobbing up to head home an 88th-minute winner.
It was the Lions who drew first blood, as a turnover playing out from the back, handed Laura Davis a chance to run in behind and she made no mistake, firing home the opener in the 10th minute.
The returning Jessie Williams had suggested at a Friday press conference she may be a little rusty having not played in a while, but she showed little evidence of that, conjuring up a quite brilliant leveller, robbing a defender of the ball before picking out the top corner from the top of the box.
She played a role in the lead-up to the second too, before Dunbabin squared it back to Captain Daisy Parsell who steered it home and had the Pirates 2-1 ahead at the break.
Williams’ second goal which arrived shortly after the restart was superb, getting the better of three defenders before curling a shot top corner, despite still being surrounded by markers. It was a moment of pure quality and had the Pirates well on their way to a first victory of the year.
But the Lions were not going to lie down, and Phoebe Clifford halved the deficit as she scrapped one home to cut the lead back to 3-2 and give the Lions hope.
Fifteen minutes from full time and the game was back on terms as the brilliant Laura Davis got the better of both the Pirates centre-backs, after she had been played in by a wonderful through ball from Moutsatsos. It was a quality goal from Davis once again lifting her side and giving them a chance at victory.
But the Pirates were simply not going to be denied this time around, and in the 88th minute, they won a corner. Williams bent in an inswinger and there was Maeve Dunbabin to glance home the late winner, sparking mass celebrations from the visitors.
It was a richly deserved win for the Pirates who have persevered through an extremely tough opening couple of months of the season to show significant improvement as the year has worn on. They’ve been competitive in recent weeks but suffered late heartbreak on multiple occasions, so to turn the tables and get that late win this time is a credit to them. With Jessie Williams in the lineup showing she is still an absolute force to be reckoned with, they will be filled with the belief it won’t be their last either.
Venn Heroics Deny Strikers
A superb display of goalkeeping from Jazlin Venn saw a 10-woman Launceston United side deny the Devonport Strikers at Valley Road. United’s keeper produced a glistening display, making a series of top-draw saves to deny the Strikers victory and see the game end in a rare 0-0 draw.
Playing on the artificial pitch, the Strikers thought they had taken the lead just 13 minutes in when Jazmin White fired home, but she was denied by a raised flag.
The Strikers would continue to be denied as the game wore on, though in future by Jazlin Venn who made her first big save in the 16th minute, somehow keeping out Abbie White’s header from the corner. Moments later she stood tall again, keeping out a viciously struck King free kick.
Kacee Ponting made a good save of her own at the other end to deny Declerk, before the game swung on the half-hour mark following a red card to Nichola Clark for a last defender challenge after the referee, with consultation with the lineswoman determined she had fouled Jazmin White.
It was a cruel blow for United and left them up against it, as the Strikers began to pile on the pressure and Venn was forced into a sharp leg save to keep out a powerful King drive from distance.
It was her save just after halftime that was probably her best in the series she made, as Jazmin White looked for all the world to have fired in the breakthrough goal only for a diving Venn to somehow get her fingertips to it at full extension and keep it out. It was a simply outstanding piece of keeping and must have left the Strikers wondering what they needed to do to score.
Abbie White had another good chance for the Strikers just past the hour mark, but fired tamely and Venn once more got down to keep it out.
Then it was the 10 women of United who nearly stole it as Dani Gunton had a pair of late openings with two one on one’s against Ponting. The first saw her trip up as she tried to round the keeper before Ponting came up with a quality save to deny her second attempt.
The Strikers had one last opportunity, but Venn once again answered the call and turned aside King’s free-kick, ensuring the contest would end locked at 0-0, thanks largely to one of the best goalkeeping performances I’ve ever seen in the Super League.
The Josi Mamic Show at Wentworth Park
Josi Mamic ran riot at Wentworth Park, scoring all four goals as South Hobart downed the Clarence Zebras 4-0 and moved within two points of securing the 2023 league title.
Mamic has been plagued by injuries in recent times but showed her clear talent in this one, blasting home four goals in a brilliant display leading the line. She had the ladder leaders well on their way to victory in the 7th minute when she scored a remarkable goal, twice prodding it away from defenders before lofting a left-footed volley over the keeper and into the back corner of the net.
The Zebras were generally defending well though and they frustrated South in their pursuit of a second till the final minute of the half when South doubled their lead in stoppage time. Mamic saw it fall to her at the top of the box and she emphatically blasted it home.
Late goals were the order of the second half too, as the game remained at 2-0 right up till Mamic completed her hat-trick in the 89th minute, absolutely smashing one in off the underside of the crossbar following a corner.
She then added her fourth for good measure in stoppage time, racing onto a through ball and again demonstrating her clinical edge in front of goals.
The result leaves South Hobart on the precipice of wrapping up the Super League crown, which they can do with a win on Friday Night against the Kingborough Lions.
MyState Bank Women’s Super League
Round 15
Kingborough Lions 3
Taroona FC 4
Devonport Strikers 0
Launceston United 0
South Hobart 4 (J.Mamic 6” 46” 89” 90+1”)
Clarence Zebras 0